Osmium News
Osmium “Big Bang”
The crystallization of osmium ends on 31.12.2026 and everyone will be able to guess what that means. Der Osmium Big Bang wird damit eingeleitet.
This was primarily triggered by the US Treasury Department imposing an import ban on aluminum, copper and nickel from Russia. The global metal exchanges are no longer allowed to accept these metals.
“The U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued a new rule under EO 14068 prohibiting the importation into the United States of aluminum, copper, and nickel originating in the Russian Federation that were produced on or after April 13, 2024 (the “Metals”). The Treasury Department also issued a supplemental ruling under Executive Order (EO) 14071 prohibiting the export, re-export, sale, or delivery of (1) warrants for the metals produced on or after April 13, 2024, to persons located in the Russian Federation a global metals exchange and (2) services to acquire the metals produced on or after April 13, 2024, as part of the physical settlement of a derivative contract.
As a result of the collective measures, metal exchanges such as the London Metal Exchange (LME) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) will be prohibited from accepting new aluminum, copper and nickel from Russian production. Metal exchanges play a central role in facilitating global trade in industrial metals. By acting together, the US and the UK are depriving Russia and its metal producers of an important source of income.”
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2249
In principle, the Osmium Institute had already stopped buying osmium from the Russian market when the war in Ukraine began. In the meantime, however, it appears that other sources are offering osmium from stocks explored and mined in Russia on the global metal exchanges without disclosing its origin.
Other reliable sources that are not affected by import bans also no longer offer sufficient supplies. Their offers range from grams to half a kilogram of osmium. It therefore makes no sense for the Osmium Institute to purchase such small batches worldwide. This is also in view of the company’s own advances, which are around 300 kilograms. The previously assumed forecasts for recoverable osmium have also proved to be far too optimistic; the quantities are much lower than previously assumed.
Osmium “Big Bang“
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For this reason, crystallization in Switzerland will be definitively discontinued on 31.12.2026, regardless of the course of the war in Ukraine and the continuation or lifting of sanctions against Russia. Only offcuts will continue to be carried out beyond this date. The osmium database will also be closed from 01.01.2027, as there will be no more new entries for crystallized osmium.
The process for crystallizing osmium is not patented for good reason. This would make it possible to imitate the production processes and crystallize osmium. However, more than 160 individual production steps would have to be identified and copied. Each of these 160 steps sometimes takes longer than 3 months. This requires knowing what needs to be done, how and where. It would take at least 40 years before the entire process chain could be copied and successfully implemented. The manufacturing process as such cannot be accelerated either. The crystallization process is not passed on or even disclosed. This serves to provide unrestricted protection for investors.
What are the consequences of the end of crystallization on 31.12.2026? Until 31.12.2026, approx. 300 kilograms of raw osmium are still available for crystallization. This corresponds to a market value of half a billion euros, but the big bang that is now beginning will certainly mean many billions of euros in the future. The osmium produced until December 31, 2026 will be sold beyond this date. However, as crystallized osmium will no longer be produced and the quantities available are becoming ever smaller, the price will rise inexorably. Gradually, private and institutional investors and the jewelry market are seeing osmium as an upcoming “big player”.
