The 12 Most Expensive Materials in the World

Gold has been the most sought-after metal in the world. Its value has been commonly known to be expensive against bronze or silver.

However, 17 more expensive materials surprisingly surpass the value of gold. A list was compiled by the Bright Side; you’ll definitely be surprised which one takes the top spot as the most expensive material in the world.

12. Saffron

Saffron currently sits on the last spot and it is commonly used as a spice. Its name definitely has a good ring to it, but saffron not only can be used as a spice, but it also has healing properties and amazing health benefits. It may be time-consuming processing saffron into a spice but compared to other spices, Saffron is very well much valued. A gram of Saffron costs $11.

11. Gold

Gold currently values at $56 per gram and is commonly used for jewelry. Its popularity has gained a huge demand. It has been worshipped since ancient times and until now it is considered as a luxurious metal.

10. Rhodium

A gram of Rhodium costs around $58, because it is an extremely rare type of metal. Its reflective properties make it a great material in the automotive industry. Only 0.001g can be found in a large area of the earth’s crust.

9. Platinum

Its high resistance to acid, alkali and other compounds makes it more valuable. It is also a rare type of metal with an estimated cost of $60 per gram.

8. Rhinoceros’s Horn

The very large demand for the Rhinoceros’s Horn has almost led to the extinction of the species. A gram of Rhinoceros’s Horn costs about $110. It has been proven that there are no medicinal benefits for the horn but the material definitely makes a good knife handle.

7. Plutonium

A radioactive metal used as a fuel source for space crafts. It also stands as the main ingredient in the production of nuclear weapons, thus makes it one of the most in-demand materials in the world. It currently costs $4,000 per gram, and this silvery-white metal weighs heavier than most material.

6. Painite

This orange to reddish-brown colored gem is extremely rare that there is only a record of a couple of hundred pieces in the world. Only a few people know of its existence, and it costs $9,000 per gram. This stone was discovered 65 years ago.

5. Taaffeite

A very rare precious stone that costs around $20,000 per gram or $4,000 per carat. It is violet, pink, white or red but it is not very popular with consumers even though it is used for jewelry.

4. Tritium

Currently costs $30,000 per gram and is a gas used for lighting. For a pound of tritium, a whopping sum of $15 Million is needed to make tritium illumination.

3. Diamond

Very sought after stone for most ladies and currently valued at $55,000 per gram.

2. Californium

Values at $25-$27 Million per gram and was discovered in 1950. It was recorded to be synthesized only once and considered to be the most expensive chemical element.

1. Antimatter

Costs around $62.5 trillion per gram and was reported to be used as fuel for space crafts. However, it takes a year of continues work without rest to produce one gram of this substance. The amount of manpower and time to produce this also contributes to how expensive it is.

Bonus:

Jadestone

Jadestone costs around $170 Million. A huge slab of Jade stone was found in Myanmar by miners. It was reported to be 14ft high and 19ft long and weighs 200 tons. The stone will soon be sent to China to be carved and used as a material for jewelry and various sculptures.