Value: Platinum is both rarer and more expensive than gold. It does not oxidize at any temperature, it's a good conductor of electricity and it is both malleable and ductile.
If translated into numbers, platinum—for all of its known deposits—is considerably more rare than gold and is the rarest metal of all.
INDIVIDUALITY Osmium is 1,500 times rarer than gold, has 10 times higher purity and is also about 30 times more valuable. Unlike diamonds, osmium cannot be manufactured and cannot be reproduced.
The most expensive are at once very rare and very useful. Gold and platinum definitely count as contenders for the number one spot. Silver may be more useful industrially, but it is somewhat less rare, so less precious. Rhodium, iridium and ruthenium are perhaps the rarest, roughly 1/5 as common as platinum.
One of the most valued precious metals is rhodium. Rhodium prices are, in fact, far greater than gold prices. Due to its rarity, rhodium is only available in a fraction of the amount of gold. The large price disparity between gold and rhodium is due to the fact that gold mines are far more numerous than rhodium mines.
The rarest stable metal is tantalum. The rarest metal on earth is actually francium, but because this unstable element has a half life of a mere 22 minutes, it has no practical use.
"Platinum and Palladium Are 30 Times Rarer Than Gold."
Red beryl. Often called the scarlet emerald, this gorgeous red crystal is said to be 1,000 times more valuable than gold. It is found in the Wah Wah Mountains of Utah and is sold at more than £8,000 per carat.
But there's another metal with all those properties and more—and it's much more valuable. It's called rhodium, part of the platinum group of metals. The name comes from the Greek rhodon, meaning rose, for the rosy color of rhodium compounds.
The rarest mineral on Earth is kyawthuite. Only one crystal, found in the Mogok region of Myanmar, is known to exist. Caltech's mineral database describes it as a small (1.61-karat) deep orange gemstone that the International Mineralogical Association officially recognized in 2015.
Painite : Not just the rarest gemstone, but also the rarest mineral on earth, Painite holds the Guinness World Record for it.
Rhodium is a rare, silvery-white metal that belongs to the platinum group metals (PGMs), which also includes platinum, palladium, iridium, osmium, and ruthenium.
Palladium is estimated to be about 15 times rarer than platinum, making it significantly more expensive per ounce. In fact, palladium is currently the most expensive among the four major precious metals (platinum, gold, and silver).
Rhodium is one of the rarest elements in the Earth's crust, comprising an estimated 0.0002 parts per million (2 × 10−10). Its rarity affects its price and its use in commercial applications. The concentration of rhodium in nickel meteorites is typically 1 part per billion.
It occurs uncombined in nature, along with other platinum metals, in river sands in North and South America. It is also found in the copper-nickel sulfide ores of Ontario, Canada. Rhodium is obtained commercially as a by-product of copper and nickel refining. World production is about 30 tonnes per year.
1. Rhodium. Rhodium is a rare, silvery-white metal that belongs to the platinum group of elements. It has a high melting point, excellent resistance to corrosion, and is known for its catalytic properties.
Palladium has the appearance of a soft silver-white metal that resembles platinum. It is the least dense and has the lowest melting point of the platinum group metals. It is soft and ductile when annealed and is greatly increased in strength and hardness when cold-worked.
Relatively hard: Palladium is considered to be a softer metal, but it is still much harder and more durable than gold, which lends more protection against impact and a greater resistance to denting. Compared to gold's knoop hardness of 200, Palladium has a knoop hardness of 400.
Fool's Gold can be one of three minerals. The most common mineral mistaken for gold is pyrite. Chalcopyrite may also appear gold-like, and weathered mica can mimic gold as well.
Because of its rarity and industrial application, this silver-white noble metal is the world's most expensive mineral. Rhodium became popular as a result of its highly valued catalytic application in the automotive industry.
Some of the most precious minerals include diamonds, emerald, sapphire, ruby, and red coral.
Palladium compounds are encountered relatively rarely by most people. All palladium compounds should be regarded as highly toxic and as carcinogenic. Palladium chloride is toxic, harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
Palladium has been found uncombined in nature, in Brazil, but most is found in sulfide minerals such as braggite. It is extracted commercially as a by-product of nickel refining. It is also extracted as a by-product of copper and zinc refining.
Plus, restrictive environmental policies limiting the extraction and mining of the metal have further constricted global supplies. Palladium's relative rarity makes it a valuable investment option when used to strategically diversify a Precious Metals portfolio.