The Most Expensive Materials

in the World
Kent Tukeli 12.19.14 Most Expensive

The most valuable substances on earth tend to be expensive because of their rarity or
because of the difficulty in producing them. However, some materials have an inflated
value because of the criminal risk involved in buying and selling these items.
Over time, the worth of expensive substances regularly changes as the availability of rare
materials increases, or the desire for them decreases. Elements like helium are relatively
inexpensive, but as the worlds supply eventually dwindles as its predicted to, this
elemental gas may experience a surge in market value.
Currently, the list of the most expensive materials on earth are dominated by rare earth
elements such as platinum, precious gems like diamonds, illicit drugs and advanced
materials that are dangerous and hard to produce. All of these substances share a
common thread of being high in demand and low in supply except for those outliers
which have been declared illegal in most countries on the planet.
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Gold $56 per gram

Although the price and value of gold does fluctuate quite significantly according to
markets, this element has been prized for thousands of years as a symbol of wealth and
prosperity.
In addition to acting as a form of currency, gold is found in a wide variety of jewelry, art
and decorations. As an inert heavy metal with excellent conductivity, gold is also used in a
wide variety of electronics, even providing a coating for satellites in space. Medical uses
include dental implants and wires as well as treating arthritis and even cancer.

Rhodium $58 per gram

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Nearly 60% of all rhodium is found in South Africa. A silver-white material thats a member
of the platinum group of metals, this element is less dense and more resistant to heat than
platinum while featuring excellent durability, hardness and reflectance.
As a result, this element, sometimes referred to as white gold, can be found in jewelry,
aircraft engines, search lights and processes that manufacture acids and organics. Part of
the reason rhodium has a high price is due to interruptions in Russian supplies during the
late 90s.

Platinum $60 per gram

Platinum is another attractive silver-white metal that has many uses due to its flexibility.
Similar to rhodium and gold, platinum is used in jewelry, engines, chemical reactions,
wiring, dentistry and electrodes.
Platinum resists oxidizing in air and doesnt melt in hydrochloric or nitric acid. This element
was rediscovered in 1735 after being used as far back as 1200 B.C in Egyptian jewelry.

Rhino Horn $110 per gram

A cure to cancer and hangovers are just a couple of the largely unfounded claims of the
benefits of this material. Its powdered rhino horn is considered a valuable resource in
some countries in Asia.
Traditional Chinese medicine also makes use of the powder, although having an intact
rhino horn is considered a great way to display conspicuous wealth, considering the
relative cost and scarcity of the product.

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide $3,000 per gram

More commonly known as acid or LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide was discovered by
Albert Hoffman in Switzerland in 1938 while attempting to create a substance useful as a
psychological remedy.
Instead, counter culture gurus such as Timothy Leary suggested that people try it as a
method to expand consciousness, resulting in the drug becoming wildly popular in the
1960s. LSD creates powerful hallucinations and can result in a dangerous trip that results
in psychological problems as well as serious physical injuries.

Plutonium $4,000 per gram

Plutonium is derived from uranium that has been used in nuclear reactions. This element
rarely comes into existence through natural processes. Nuclear power plants often use the
plutonium from uranium reactions to continue the nuclear process, resulting in more than
one-third of nuclear fission energy.

Painite $9,000 per gram

First discovered in Burma during the 1950s, painite is a rare mineral that features a
pinkish, reddish or brown hue. Once known as the rarest mineral in the world, very few
specimens of painite exist.
Recent discoveries in the Mogok area of Myanmar, however, promise to result in an
eventual reduction in its scarcity.

5. Taaffeite Stone $20,000 per gram

Taaffeite stone is another incredibly rare gemstone only recently identified by collectors.
The attractive colors of this rare material range from red to purple, although there are less
than ten red taaffeite stones known to exist.
The amount of taaffeite discovered would fill the volume of approximately half a cup.

Tritium $30,000 per gram

Tritium forms naturally when deuterium or nitrogen atoms are bombarded with cosmic
radiation, resulting in a hydrogen nucleus with two additional neutrons.
As a radioactive form of hydrogen, tritium produces a glow thats useful for self-lit exit
signs, gun sights and other illuminated products such as watches.

Diamond $55,000 per gram

Long-prized for their beauty and value, diamonds are the most expensive gemstone
despite the fact that theyre not the rarest on earth. Diamonds form deep under the earths
crust through intense pressure and heat, which transform carbon molecules into the
hardest gem on earth. Some diamonds have been dated as far back as 3.2 billion years.
The high value of diamonds is, of course, a contentious issue as the resource has been
known to be exploited. The mineral is commonly found in certain war-torn areas of Africa,
where blood diamonds can be used as bartering material for illegal weaponry.