The 12 Most Expensive Materials In The World (2024)

For many centuries, lots ofpeople have believed that gold isone ofthe most expensive materials inthe world. This, however, isabsolutely wrong.

Bright Side has compiled alist ofmaterials ofvalue, rating them from the lowest price tothe highest one. Let’s skip ahead abit: gold isnot even inthe top three here.

12. Saffron— $11 per gram

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This spice isunique, combining fantastic taste and great health benefits. Its production process ishighly time and effort consuming, but the flavor and healing properties ofsaffron are unequaled byany other spice.

11. Gold— $56 per gram

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The most well-known precious metal that nowoman can supposedly dowithout. Gold has been worshipped from time immemorial, and all things beautiful are inevitably compared toit.

10. Rhodium— $58 per gram

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9. Platinum— $60 per gram

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This isarare and precious metal ofasilvery steel color. Like gold, it’s highly resistant toacids, alkali, and other compounds.

8. Rhinoceros’s horn— $110 per gram

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Although science has proven that rhino horn has nomedicinal properties, they are still considered valuable because ofthis property and asgreat knife handles. Because ofpoachers, poor rhinos are already onthe verge ofextinction.

7. Plutonium— $4,000 per gram

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Aheavy yet fragile radioactive metal ofasilvery-white color. Its uses vary from production ofnuclear weapons and fuel toasource ofenergy for spacecrafts.

6. Painite— $9,000 per gram

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This stone issorare that very few people actually know itexists. It’s amineral ofanorange orreddish-brown color, and itwas only discovered 65years ago. There are just acouple hundred ofthese stones inthe world today.

5. Taaffeite— $20,000 per gram or$4,000 per carat

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Aprecious stone ofaviolet, pink, red, orwhite color. Itisamillion times rarer than diamonds, making itlegendary. However, despite its uniqueness, it’s not very popular when itcomes tojewelry— and that’s probably the reason why it’s relatively inexpensive.

4. Tritium— $30,000 per gram

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This gas isused inlighting— for example, intritium illumination. Itcosts about $15 million toproduce apound oftritium.

3. Diamond— $55,000 per gram

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The most famous precious stone onEarth, and the best friend ofany lady.

2. Californium— $25-27 million per gram

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The most expensive chemical element ever. Ithas been synthesized only once since its discovery in1950.

1. Antimatter— $62.5 trillion per gram

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The most expensive substance onEarth. Production ofone milligram ofpositrons costs about $25million. Intheory, wewill beable touse antimatter asfuel for spacecrafts inthe future. But the drawback today isthat tomake just one gram ofit, all ofmankind will have towork for about ayear without rest.

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