🔍 Osmium, the newest precious metal

schedule
2022-09-15 | 18:53h
update
2023-11-28 | 14:53h
person
osmium.pro
domain
osmium.pro
Osmium, the newest precious metal

Anyone who thinks of precious metals, especially as an investment or possession, often thinks of gold, platinum or silver. However, trade in osmium has also been on the rise for some years now. This metal was discovered as early as 1804, but it was only in 2013 that it became crystallizable and therefore valuable and easily tradable. It is the youngest precious metal and will be the last to come onto the market.

Osmium, the rarest precious metal

Osmium is not mined directly. It is a by-product of platinum processing, in which only around 30 grams of raw osmium is extracted from ten thousand tons of platinum. This makes it the rarest precious metal on our planet. The total amount present in the earth’s crust is limited to around 17 m³. Only 1 m³ of this quantity, i.e. around 22 tons, can be extracted efficiently. Through a complicated and secret process, the raw osmium is crystallized into unique pieces.

Its rarity (osmium is the rarest non-radioactive element) in combination with its unique properties – highest density and value density of all metals, non-reproducible crystal structure – makes it an interesting long-term investment, but it can also be used in the jewelry industry.

Crystallization and certification of the precious metal

Raw osmium, the osmium sponge, is toxic when exposed to oxygen. But in 2013, scientists succeeded in crystallizing raw osmium into a safe precious metal. This is why osmium has only been on the market since 2014 and has become increasingly popular since the first Osmium Institute was founded in Germany in 2017. During this crystallization process, each piece is measured, weighed and scanned with high-resolution microscopes in 2D and 3D and receives an eight-digit code, the Osmium Identification Code (OIC), which is then stored in the international osmium database. This makes it easy to identify and check its origin. There cannot be a second identical structure. And while gold bars can in principle be counterfeited with tungsten, there is no metal that is heavier and has the same density but a lower value than osmium. It is therefore impossible to produce a counterfeit osmium bar.

Each owner can access this database with their OIC and compare the scans with the physical osmium piece to confirm authenticity. The German Osmium Institute also carries out the training and certification of authorized trading partners worldwide. This is why osmium has only been on the market since 2014 and why the precious metal has become increasingly popular since the first osmium institute was founded in Germany in 2017.

Osmium is more expensive and rarer than gold

The advantage of osmium is that you can physically hold it in your hand. You don’t just buy it somewhere on paper like shares, for example. It is also becoming increasingly interesting for jewelers. Its beauty in crystalline form makes it increasingly popular for high-quality luxury jewelry. Osmium is used to make watches, rings, earrings, necklaces and even headphones and much more. Furthermore, unlike gold, osmium cannot be remelted and reused after processing, as it would lose its crystal structure and its unique “fingerprint”.

Precisely because the precious metal is so rare and the market is still new, it is to be expected that osmium will increase in value in the long term. Osmium is not something you buy and sell again after a few months. It is recommended to hold osmium for the longer term in order to realize profits thereafter. In the future, this market will be made up of osmium dealers, jewelers, goldsmiths and manufacturers, as well as investors and private individuals.

Precious metal osmium in harmonious interaction with gold
Source: Oslery GmbH

Origin of the raw material

Osmium is mined in Canada, Russia and South Africa, although in practice it is now mainly sourced from certified mines in South Africa. From there, the raw product is sent to a laboratory in Switzerland, where it is crystallized. The few mines worldwide that produce osmium as an associated by-metal with platinum ore will soon have to cease production. This is because with every kilometer that the mining companies have to penetrate deeper into the earth’s crust, the raw product becomes more and more expensive. And at some point, the costs are no longer in proportion to the revenue.

Osmium – the rarest metal in the worldAMP

Osmium – the rarest metal in the world The rarest metal in the world The occurrence of osmium is negligible and its extraction is time-consuming and costly. Although it was discovered over 200 years ago, it has never become a common industrial or luxury metal due to its rarity and the toxicity of its raw…

The osmium market – international growthAMP

The growing international osmium market An overview of the growing international osmium market Osmium in its crystalline form has become a superstar on the precious metals market. In the eight years since its crystalline form was discovered, the rarest, most valuable and arguably most beautiful precious metal has become the most popular precious metal that…

Osmium – The “sunshine element”AMP

Osmium – The “sunshine element” Precious metals have always been attractive to investors due to their intrinsic value. The pandemic has shown that in times of crisis, people fall back on investments that are familiar to them and that they have been able to rely on for centuries: Gold, silver, platinum and palladium are the…

Osmium tangible asset investment – the new benchmarkAMP

The Osmium tangible asset investment sets new standards If you have now lost faith in cash and want to acquire a tangible asset with a high value density or get out of gold or BTC investments, osmium is the right choice. There are eight precious metals in the periodic table. Seven of them have been…

The Osmium ViolinAMP

The Osmium Violin On March 30, 2023, the world’s most expensive, newly created violin was presented to the public for the first time in Vienna under the strictest security precautions at Post AG. The Austrian violin maker Edgar Russ, who works in the Italian violin capital Cremona, painstakingly crafted the 550 gram, 59.5 centimeter long…

Advertisement

Imprint
Responsible for the content:
osmium.pro
Privacy & Terms of Use:
osmium.pro
Mobile website via:
WordPress AMP Plugin
Last AMPHTML update:
06.12.2024 - 13:40:30
Privacy-Data & cookie usage: