Buy OSMIUM & Prices

Certified osmium dealer

Facts about osmium

Why you should buy osmium: Osmium is the rarest precious metal in the world and belongs to the platinum metals. Steadily rising osmium prices are due to its rarity and the complex production process. It is extracted as an alloyed metal with platinum or nickel and is mined in South Africa, Canada, Australia and Kazakhstan. Only 30 grams of osmium are contained in 10,000 tons of platinum ore. There are no other mining options.

The total worldwide deposit is estimated to be a mineable 1 m³. 17 m³ are estimated to be in the earth’s crust. The annual production amounts to approx. 1,200 kg. Only since 2013 has it been possible to crystallize the toxic osmium in a complex laboratory process and market it as a non-toxic precious metal in the form of bars, discs, squares, diamonds and stars. In comparison, gold is 1,500 times more common and not all gold deposits have been explored.

Osmium ring with diamonds
Investors can also buy jewelry made of osmium. Source: Oslery GmbH

Technical data

Buy osmium as bars, disks or squares
Disk as end product after crystallization

As the densest of all non-radioactive elements and chemical compounds on earth, osmium cannot be falsified. With a compression modulus of 462 GPa, it is more difficult to compress than diamonds. Osmium has the highest abrasion resistance and is an excellent gamma ray shield. Its use at low temperatures as a very effective superconductor is also interesting.

The incomparable brilliance of crystalline osmium surpasses that of diamonds many times over, as the incident light is reflected unbroken on the crystal surface. Before you buy osmium, you should familiarize yourself with the positive properties listed below.

  • Discovery: 1804 by Smithson Tennant, London
  • Crystallizable since: 2013
  • Chemical purity: 99.9995 %
  • Compression modulus: 462 GPa
  • Density of the PSE: 22.61 g/cm³
  • Melting point: 3,033 °C
  • Boiling point: 5,000 °C
  • Ordinal number: 76

The raw osmium to be crystallized is obtained exclusively from certified mines. Speculators or private individuals are not allowed to buy, as the toxic raw osmium may not be sold to private individuals. After the crystallization process, osmium is very hard and has a bluish-white sheen. It consists of a crystal structure that has the hexagonally densest sphere packing.

Osmium vs. diamonds

Diamonds can catch fire at a temperature of 800 °C and turn into worthless graphite when they burn. As a reminder: A candle reaches a temperature of up to 1,400 °C at its hottest point above the visible flame. Osmium is not substitutable! This is simply due to the fact that it is the densest of all stable elements and chemical compounds on earth.

There is no way to produce crystalline osmium artificially. Each individual piece of osmium has a unique crystal structure that is not found in diamonds. Diamonds are increasingly being produced artificially. The production processes have been known for a long time and are already being used industrially. The raw material for a single carat is only a few euros. Synthetic diamonds can be produced in every conceivable quality and cannot be distinguished from real diamonds without modern testing equipment. This inevitably leads to the market for diamonds becoming less and less interesting for investors due to falling prices.

Buy osmium in the form of a disk
The largest flat form into which osmium can be crystallized is the osmium disk. With a diameter of 5 cm to 12.5 cm, the osmium disk is an ideal investment product for investors. In addition, the price/performance ratio of the disk is particularly good. In addition, the osmium disk has the highest value density, as no processing surcharges are levied for the cut. You can buy osmium with many payment options from the Osmium Institute.

Products

With a diameter of 5 cm to 12.5 cm, the osmium disk is the largest flat form in which osmium can be crystallized. The rectangular flat ingots are crystallized in different area sizes, which is why they also have different weights. Osmium bars are available from approx. 10 mm x 8 mm up to a size of 40 mm x 25 mm. The coin disk with a diameter of 1.8 cm is the smallest osmium disk. There are almost no differences in weight and thickness. Disks, bars and squares have the best price/performance ratio, as they do not have an additional cost for the labor-intensive and complex cutting process. Therefore, the prices for bars, disks and squares are favorable.

Like gold or silver bars, the split bars can be broken into individual pieces for further processing into jewelry or for sale. The pieces can be recertified at any time. The diamonds (3 mm – 9 mm diameter), squares (2 mm – 9 mm side length) and triangles (3 mm – 6 mm side length) can be easily and effortlessly processed as jewelry, as these shapes are easy to set. The letters, numbers and symbols are often used to make pendants or inlays. You can buy osmium directly from the Osmium Institute via the product links.

As a private individual and as a processing company, you can have osmium grown and shaped in 2D or 3D.

As long as the desired shapes are not too delicate, 3D objects can be crystallized onto carbon bodies at any time according to your ideas. It is easier with 2D objects that are cut out of flat bars in the desired shape.

If you would like to order a mold, please enter your requirements in the following fields. The local Osmium Institute will contact you to discuss the order. If you would like to order a mold according to your own ideas, please send us an e-mail with your specifications. We will contact you immediately to discuss the next steps.

However, we would like to point out that the costs for the custom-made products mentioned above must be paid in full in advance. In the wire EDM process, the costs for cutting the osmium object are reduced, depending on the number of pieces ordered.

Buy osmium

Pay osmium prices in euros or Bitcoin

You can buy osmium in euros, Swiss francs, Australian dollars, US dollars, British pounds, Bitcoin, Ethereum and gold ounces.

Investors are advised to buy osmium bars or osmium disks. This is because these are the most flexible starting products for further processing. A disk can be exchanged for several bars of the same weight and vice versa at any time via the Osmium Institute. There are no costs for this. The diamonds, stars, squares and triangles are mainly used for further processing by jewelers and goldsmiths. Letters, numbers and symbols can be used to create a very individual gift.

The price of the object is based on its weight and the daily spot price. After ordering in the store, the goods must be paid for in advance. You can also buy osmium with Bitcoin or Ethereum. After receipt of payment, the goods will be shipped fully insured. The Osmium Box is the first choice for investments over €10,000. If a fixed investment amount is specified, the corresponding properties are compiled, which then approximate the amount. As this is by nature never possible to be exact, you always get a little more osmium when you buy osmium.

Osmium prices

The osmium prices are updated daily in US dollars, Swiss francs and euros. Every customer can check the value of the product online using the Osmium Identification Code check tool. The OIC Checker works as follows: first the certificate is displayed after entering the OIC. So you always have it to hand. The OIC Checker also contains the origin, weight and dimensions as well as high-resolution graphics. The current net price of the osmium product is also displayed.

But important: the price quoted is a spot price, which is calculated on the basis of the supply of raw osmium, the harvest rate and many other factors. When selling, a price can be achieved that is higher or lower depending on supply and demand. Interested investors are increasingly buying osmium from countries where the precious metal was previously relatively unknown. The more customers buy osmium, the more this will be reflected in rising prices.

What factors influence osmium prices?

Prices are influenced by various factors. The most important of these include:

  • Harvest rate: i.e. how much osmium could be successfully crystallized
  • Labor and material costs: for failed crystallization
  • Supply of raw osmium: by-product of platinum ore, which has to be laboriously isolated
  • Current demand and stock levels: orders, pre-orders, future forecast, number of certified osmium products
  • Expenses for iterative high purification of crystallization: up to the high-quality end product
  • Fixed and variable costs: security, personnel, packaging, equipment, cutting, certification, energy costs
Supply of raw osmium

The supply of raw osmium is one of the most important factors influencing osmium prices. Raw osmium is extracted in mines as a by-product. It is separated from the platinum ore and transported to the laboratory. These steps in the background are influenced by the mine operators and transportation routes, so that these actions must be taken into account economically in pricing. The amount of raw osmium available on the market has a direct influence on the price. The lower the supply of raw osmium, the higher the price. Crystalline osmium can only be produced if raw osmium is subjected to a lengthy and complex process under extreme conditions of high pressure and temperature.

Harvest rate of crystalline osmium

The harvest rate corresponds to the success rate of the crystallization process and therefore has a major influence on the price. Not every gram of raw osmium that went through the numerous crystallization steps crystallized in the desired quality. These quantities are fed back into the process and highly purified. As a result, the harvest rate per furnace has a high influence on the production volume and consequently also on the daily price when buying osmium.

Demand

Demand for crystalline osmium has risen sharply in recent years. As a result, osmium prices have risen accordingly. However, higher prices can slow down demand in order to keep up with the labor process. This is essentially also the case for crystalline osmium, with demand broken down into orders placed, pre-orders, future forecasts and the number of certified osmium products in the database. Demand is converted into real sales and has approximately quadrupled from 2019 to 2020 and more than quadrupled again from 2020 to 2021.

Stock and orders

Stock levels and orders for osmium are also important factors that influence the price. Osmium prices have been on the rise for years, harvest rates have increased and material and labor costs for unsuccessful crystallization also contribute significantly to the price of osmium. The supply of raw osmium has also decreased, which is further increasing demand for the precious metal.

Processing costs

The processing costs depend on many factors. This includes the offcut and loss on the wire, the number of pieces and the individual osmium object. This also includes the programming costs for creating the shape sequences and wire cutting sequences.

Cutting costs

Cutting osmium into small shapes and symbols is quite complex. Nevertheless, it is considered to be very precise, which is why it is particularly suitable for the crystalline and refractory precious metal. The extraordinary hardness makes cutting an expensive affair, but these costs are not incurred for the disks, bars and squares. The cutting process is called wire erosion.

Listing

The listing is likely to be accompanied by increased demand. Osmium has been listed on the TM2 commodity exchange since 2021. In contrast to the European market, osmium is still largely unknown in China and the USA. The introduction in these two countries should ensure a further price rally in the future. All in all, the listing will create a new and bright future for osmium.

Price development

As crystalline osmium has only been available since 2015, the price trend can only be tracked over a relatively short period of time. However, osmium can be compared quite well with rhodium, which has also only been traded for a relatively short time and was priced at €800 when it was launched on the market. In the period from 2017 to 2022, the price of rhodium increased sixteen-fold.

Insiders would not be surprised if the situation with osmium were similar. Buying osmium is particularly recommended when the price makes a setback of 4 % – 5 %. In almost all cases, this is due to the fact that newly manufactured osmium products are entered into the system in large quantities and the algorithm redetermines the price. These price falls only last a few days before the original price is reached again.

Osmium vs. gold

Investors consider gold to be crisis-proof and always like to include it in their portfolios. Osmium has the advantage over gold of being forgery-proof. One gram of osmium is roughly equivalent to the price of an ounce of gold and takes up much less space in storage. Unlike gold, osmium is not traded on commodity futures exchanges and is therefore not subject to high volatility.

Certainly much to the chagrin of day traders who want to book their profits with rising or falling prices. Although the price of gold has risen steadily in recent years, it has often followed a course that was no longer comprehensible to many experts. Osmium, on the other hand, offers an extremely lucrative investment opportunity due to its security features and the predicted production volumes, which are set to run out soon. Investors even have the opportunity to buy osmium with their gold.

However, selling osmium is not quite as easy as buying gold. But with the support of around 1,000 dealers in over 30 countries, this should not be a problem. In 2021, the Osmium Institute launched the Osmium Marketplace for buying and selling osmium. Private individuals can sell to private individuals there. The prerequisite is that both seller and buyer have an OIC to log in there.

Note: The figures shown for osmium are in EUR, those for gold and silver are in US dollars and those for the German share index are in points. This chart helps you to decide why you should buy osmium.

Security

The surface structure of osmium is unique. No two pieces are the same and it is 10,000 times more unique than a human fingerprint, but the actual number is many times higher. In addition, a certificate ensures identification and simplifies the resale of the precious metal.

OIC

The German Osmium Institute scans every single piece of crystalline osmium with a resolution of 25,000 measuring points per square millimeter using Keyence microscopes, measures it, weighs it and saves the scans in the Osmium World Database with the assigned Osmium Identification Code (OIC) and a QR code. This makes it easier for the customs authorities to check the identity and legal ownership of each item when it crosses the border and to clear it through customs if necessary. The value is based on the current daily rate.

OCC

In order to receive their own new Owner Change Code (OCC) for a newly purchased piece of osmium, every buyer must provide an e-mail address at the time of purchase. The osmium world database can be accessed at www.osmium-identification-code.com. By entering the OIC, you can find the master data of your own osmium here. The OIC and QR are printed in white on the black foil box in which the osmium is delivered. In the database, the owner can change ownership several times and once.

Certificate

The Osmium Institute issues a certificate for each individual piece of osmium before it is placed on the market. It indicates the authenticity of the osmium object and contains the physical data. The certificate enables easy trading and makes osmium uninteresting for thieves, as the owner is stored in an online database. Buying osmium with a certificate means a high degree of security.

Density

As osmium has the highest specific weight of all metals, there is no possibility of using another metal as a “substitute”. This would reduce the specific weight and the counterfeit could be detected immediately. Tungsten is used to counterfeit gold, as tungsten has almost the same specific weight as gold.

Surface structure

The surface structure of osmium is very complex and can be assigned to each individual piece. This so-called microgeometry is determined by the fact that each edge of a single crystal has a specific angle to the neighboring crystal.

Crystallization

The toxic powdered osmium is crystallized in a laboratory in 160 very complex individual steps. Due to the crystallization process, the osmium has completely lost its original toxic properties. Osmium cannot be crystallized by synthetic means, as osmium is a chemical element that, by definition, cannot be broken down any further.

Customer opinions

Send us your opinion on the osmium you have purchased. With your consent, we will publish them here and you will help us to bring the uniqueness of the osmium closer to interested parties. Because osmium is simply “nice to have”.