15 Most Expensive Materials in the World

according to our good friends at wikipedia a material is a substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an object and some of these substances aren't exactly cheap the purchasing of some materials could really break the bank if you're in the market for materials of any kind we recommend you watch this video first just in case what you've got your eye on is one of the pricier options these are the most expensive materials in the world [Music] number 15 tar fight if you haven't heard the word tar fight you're not alone and it's spelled a lot weirder than it sounds the precious gem is considered a million times rarer than a diamond it was named after richard tarfy a gemologist who discovered the cut and polished gem in a jeweler's shop in dublin ireland in october 1945. it had previously been misidentified as the mauve-colored spinel crystal until toffee noticed some inconsistencies including the difference in refracting light only found in southern tanzania and sri lanka tarfight is not suitable for fastening making it even more difficult to source lower grades of the gemstone are however found in limestone sediments in china with a light violet almost clear appearance true tar fight ranks highly on the mohs scale of hardness meaning its durability can be trusted because of its rarity its sole purpose is as a gemstone found in carbonate rocks alongside fluorite mica spinel and tourmaline this rare gem is valued at a fairly decent 2 500 per carat so investors will need pretty deep pockets before we go on we have a cool challenge for y'all it'll take about five seconds to complete let's make a deal just leave a like on this video smash that subscribe button and hit the notification bell and you will get 10 years of amazing luck and fortune try it it actually works number 14 white truffles when it comes to food it doesn't get much more luxurious than the truffle with just a few ounces worth several hundred dollars to give you an idea of how expensive this product is in 2016 a 4.16 pound white truffle with the impressive title of the world's largest netted its owner sixty-one thousand two hundred fifty dollars the oversized fungus was sold at a celebi's auction to a phone bidder in china and believe it or not was considered a bargain vice president of urbani truffles usa vittorio giardano a self-proclaimed truffle guru said the truffle business first started in italy in 1852 and now sells to 68 different countries across the globe white truffles are rarer and more expensive than black truffles and can be found in both italy and croatia a wild product truffles cannot be cultivated as their growth is unpredictable this is what dictates their extreme prices as people have tried for generations to farm them without success urbani works with a network of 18 000 people to hunt for truffles around italy with most truffle hunters only able to secure small amounts a lot of people are needed to collect the quantity needed another reason the prices are so high the truffles are delivered fresh and the cost to make that happen adds up number 13 saffron did you know that not all spices are created equal one in particular is classified as the world's most expensive with a wholesale price ranging from around 1 000 to 5 000 per kilogram depending on its potency and quality saffron is like any ultra premium product there is no one-size-fits-all pricing with a market that is saturated by vendors it's difficult to get an accurate sense of what counts as a fair price products vary wildly in terms of origin and at the top end of the grating system premium saffron is basically a different product from the inferior one altogether persian or iranian saffron is considered to be the best in the world demand for the ultimate spice is sky high and so too is its price but it's worth its weight in gold particularly when it comes to cooking the quantities required to color flavor and perfume most recipes are generally fairly modest which means that the saffron required only winds up costing around 20 cents per plate but only if you're working with high quality saffron if you use low grade you're likely to run through it more quickly and the overall quality of your dishes will be lower the moral of the story do not sacrifice quality for price because in the end it just isn't worth it number 12 beluga caviar one of the most expensive foods in the world caviar can sell for up to 35 000 per kilogram it is enjoyed by the upper class across the world however it's said to be an acquired taste much like salmon mainly eaten as a garnish or spread on crackers beluga caviar is usually silver or black but it wasn't always this expensive in the 19th century it was so common many saloons offered it for free like they do bar nuts today fishermen fed it to their pigs or it was left on the beach to spoil so what happened now classified as black gold beluga caviar comes from the eggs of a rare albino sturgeon and is far superior to the cheaper and saltier caviar used to make patrons drink more this sturgeon is between 60 and 100 years old and swims in the southern caspian sea there are 27 species around the world however over harvesting is causing them to decline and destroying their habitats the rarer that caviar becomes the more people can't get enough of it not the best outcome for the poor sturgeon number 11 gold all that glitters is not necessarily gold in fact the precious metal is often used to get people out of a financial bind considered a guaranteed payday gold has been labeled a safe haven a wise investment for those needing to cash in when the need arises widely used in art gold coins and bars jewelry and more recently technology gold bullion is arguably a solid long-term investment investment comes in many forms with jewelry the largest and most traditional method particularly in india if purchased for sentimental value only investors should choose wisely making sure to keep in mind carrot amounts and their relation to price aside from jewelry investing can be done in a number of ways including gold bars and coins gold-focused stocks such as gold mines and gold futures an agreement to trade gold at a predetermined amount in the future contrary to popular belief gold isn't consumed like many other commodities you can't eat it you can't burn it and only a small portion is used for industrial purposes number 10 rhodium english chemist william hyde-walliston discovered rhodium in 1803 shortly after he had found the element palladium a silver white metallic element that is highly reflective and resistant to wear corrosion and oxidation rhodium is valuable sitting well above gold or silver in world rankings its name comes from the greek word rodon which means rose and describes the rose red color of its salts a stunning metal it is considered rare and very precious mainly used in catalytic converters to help clean vehicle emissions and rid our cities of exhaust fumes rhodium is often paired with palladium and or platinum other uses for the element include optic fiber coating thermocouple elements and headlight reflectors due to its low electrical resistance and low corrosion properties with south africa alone producing almost eighty percent of the world's rhodium the element is both rare and prices volatile in fact it briefly reached a whopping ten thousand twenty five dollars an ounce in 2018 unbelievable really number nine platinum a highly valued and desired metal platinum has a wide range of uses including jewelry catalytic converters electrical contacts and medical devices such as pacemakers it can also be used in some medications like anti-cancer drugs the silver white metal is both rare and expensive mainly known as white gold it is popular as a wedding ring choice and is extremely resistant to tarnishing and corrosion soft and easily pliable platinum can be hammered or pressed into shape without breaking or cracking and forms part of an elite group of metals that includes gold silver copper and titanium it was first referenced in 1557 by italian physician julius scalager who found the metal in central america and named it platina meaning little silver however it wasn't until almost 200 years later that platinum was officially introduced to the world by british scientist charles wood who described some of its attributes and possible commercial applications in a published study british chemists william wollaston and smith's antenna produced and sold purified platinum a similar extraction technique is still used today like rhodium the majority of platinum is mined in south africa and with high prices many investors have gotten on board to buy and sell it it's a risky business though as prices can fluctuate greatly even more so than other precious metals number eight heroin it's little wonder that people hooked on heroin often turn to a life of crime to fund their habit with a price tag of approximately 150 dollars a day totaling almost 55 000 per year it is an expensive habit and not one the average joe can afford unfortunately personal financial burden isn't the only problem caused by heroin abuse there are so many others with the worst being death the financial impact on society is serious with the cost of heroin addicts in the united states alone costing more than 51 billion dollars in 2015. prisons are jam-packed with heroin users who have to be treated medical providers are flooded with people needing rehabilitation there are a host of chronic infectious diseases contracted through heroin use not to mention the treatment of those injured through their crimes there are also many newborns that come into the world suffering from medical conditions related to heroin and just as many are handed over to the state to be cared for users also find it difficult to hold down successful employment relying on the welfare system to exist combining all these factors and the current estimate of 1 million active heroin users in the u.s the costs to the economy are increasing by the day a purely selfish habit it's not only the abusers that are losing to heroin number seven jade if you thought diamonds were a girl's best friend perhaps you should think again apparently the wealthy invest in jade the semi-precious gemstone is highly valued in china ranked above all others top quality jade is distinguished by four elements its translucency color cut and texture mostly green in color jade gets its name from two different stones jadeite and nephrite estimated to be anywhere up to 570 million years old the gemstone is considered an antique with its value steadily rising over the years the chinese also believe it represents the five virtues of compassion wisdom justice courage and modesty and possesses healing powers it's no wonder it's so highly sought after as well as green the stone can be found in blue black white brown orange pink and red each has its own set of special powers however all types are said to aid in protecting children against illnesses myanmar in southeast asia has the largest jade boulder in the world weighing around 3 000 tons it has a rich history and is still used today to make a wide range of jewelry number six scorpion venom scorpion venom might be dangerous but handling it could be worth the risk given it could make you quite a lot of money at 39 million dollars per gallon this stuff is like liquid gold the expensive liquid comes specifically from the death stalker scorpion and with a name like that it's obvious that this little chap is the most dangerous on the planet but with big money to be made from its venom people are literally clambering to grab themselves a sample only catches the scorpion needs to be milked and not once but 2.64 million times to fill a gallon doesn't sound worth it to me so why are people so keen to buy it turns out it's because it's difficult to come by pretty bizarre logic if you ask me milked by hand one by one a scorpion produces at most just two milligrams of venom at a time and with its bite said to be more painful than a bee sting it's difficult to understand why anyone would even bother but they do in fact there's even a name for them a venom tech these brave souls extract the venom to help with pioneering research into breakthrough medicines which means that demand for this miracle venom continues to grow number five hey night what appeared to be an innocent stone found by british mineralogist and gem dealer arthur payne in myanmar in the 1950s turned out to be much more than anyone could have imagined it was discovered that the orange brown stone was one of only two painite specimens known to exist making it the world's rarest gemstone decades later the stone is still so rare it's effectively priceless it's also pretty much impossible to find on today's market making it extremely expensive should you be lucky enough to find it pay night can set you back between fifty thousand and sixty thousand dollars per carat a bore a mineral that contains calcium zirconium aluminum and oxygen it was first thought to be a ruby but arthur payne confirmed it as a new mineral species naming it after himself typically orange red to brownish red due to traces of chromium and vanadium in its makeup painite is naturally hexagonal in shape and until late 2004 only two had been fashioned into gemstones number four diamond said to be billions of years old and brought to the earth's surface with the help of volcanic eruptions ancient romans and greeks believed diamonds to be the tears cried by gods or splinters from falling stars although this has never been proven the dazzling gemstones are the birthstone for the month of april what better excuse to buy yourself one april born ladies nearly 100 carbon the diamond is considered invincible or indestructible hence its name the word diamond comes from the greek word adamus which describes anything that is inflexible firm or long-lasting in fact the only thing that can scratch a diamond is another diamond under the immense heat and pressure they deal with far below the earth's surface the carbon atoms bond to create the diamonds beautiful and rare crystalline structure valued and coveted for thousands of years diamonds were being excavated and traded in india as far back as the 4th century bc ancient hindu statues were adorned with diamonds with many cultures believing they had special powers they were said to give the wearer protection from danger and strength and courage during battle kings were often seen wearing diamonds on their armor as they rode into battle it was also believed that diamonds had healing properties and could cure ailments such as fatigue and mental illness india was the world's original source with the trade beginning in the 1400s however following a decline in the precious gem brazil took over temporarily before a huge diamond reserve was discovered in south africa in the 1800s they are now mined in many parts of the world however south africa still holds the record for the largest diamond ever discovered the cullinan was found in 1905. an amazing 3106 carats it weighed 1.33 pounds south africa doesn't have the best reputation for ethical working conditions with many children treated as slaves in the mines brilliant earth was introduced to help stop this behavior they believe diamonds shine brighter when they're sourced in an ethical environmentally friendly way number three californium 252 named after the state of california and the university of california californium 252 is a radioactive metallic and actinide chemical that is noted for several qualities it is the element with the second highest atomic mass and is the sixth transuranium element that scientists were able to synthesize it's also a valuable trading commodity with just one gem costing a cool 27 million dollars the heaviest naturally occurring element on our planet californium's price reflects its heavyweight status in the 1970s californium 252 was sold for 10 per microgram with just 150 000 micrograms or 150 milligrams shipped to buyers every year between 1970 and 1990. the element was mainly sold to academic and industrial buyers by the atomic energy commission atomic energy was replaced by the nuclear regulatory commission in 1974 causing the price of californium 252 to steadily increase by 1999 the price had risen from 10 dollars per microgram to sixty dollars used in the treatment of certain types of brain and cervical cancers it's little wonder this chemical is so sought after unfortunately since its discovery in 1950 scientists have only been able to produce just eight grams making it extremely scarce and highly regulated in most countries number two methamphetamine a powerful highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system methamphetamine or crystal meth looks like glass fragments or shiny bluish rocks its seemingly harmless appearance however masks a dangerous predator one that is taking people hostage all over the globe like amphetamine the drug used to treat adhd and sleep disorders methamphetamine can be taken in several forms however because the hive doesn't last for long users often take repeated doses similar to eating disorders addicts often binge and crash giving up food and sleep while continuing to take the drug every few hours for several days a very dangerous substance methamphetamine increases the amount of the natural chemical dopamine in the brain and rapidly releasing high levels of the reward component in the brain this strongly reinforces drug taking behavior making the user want to effectively rinse and repeat in the short term users of this drug can experience increased wakefulness and physical activity decreased appetite irregular heartbeat and increased blood pressure the long-term effects however are far more serious particularly so for those who regularly inject the drug into their system users are at an increased risk of contracting infectious diseases including hiv aids and are likely to develop cognitive problems where they have trouble thinking understanding learning and remembering other side effects include extreme weight loss severe dental problems intense itching anxiety and confusion users also may become violent unpredictable and paranoid and be prone to hallucinations making them extremely volatile and often dangerous there is some good news though as addicts can recover if they have ready access to effective treatments but all this comes at a cost a cost endured by the local economy number one rhinoceros horn it seems almost bizarre to think that a beautiful majestic beast like the rhinoceros would be killed for a horn that can be removed without the need for its death the horns are sold on the black market for a fortune used by some cultures for ornaments or traditional medicine they are most popular in both east asia and vietnam in fact on the black market they cost as much as gold people have been known to grind the horn into dust and consume it believing it has therapeutic properties due to the keratin inside it the african species and the sumatran rhino are very sought after as they have two horns the sumatran rhino along with the black and the javin are critically endangered and south african park rangers are now taking matters into their own hands in the hope of saving them with its rhino population said to be under siege with poachers killing as many as three a day to sell the horns rangers at a private game reserve are capturing and tranquilizing them before removing their horns said to be just like filing a nail the rhino's not in any pain and the action may save their lives able to fetch up to 150 thousand dollars in some parts of asia the rhinos have a deadly bounty on their head although the horn will grow back in several years it's going to become increasingly common for them not to be seen on private reserves in order to save the species with no real predators in the wild it's a sad fact that adult rhinos should fear us humans instead paying big money for precious gifts such as gold frankincense and myrrh made famous by a baby born in a manger many moons ago makes an element of sense spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a rhino horn at the expense of a poor rhino does not truth be told however i'm more than a little envious of the person who has a spare 39 million bucks to my scorpion venom also check out our other cool stuff showing up on screen right now see you next time

Channel: Factsopedia

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Keywords: most expensive materials, most expensive, expensive, gold, most expensive substances, materials, diamond, substances, diamonds, things, rare, expensive materials, price comparison, most valuable material, material, on earth, gems, new, most valuable, rarest items, in the world, money comparison, expensive metals, space, radioactive materials, jewellery, diamond jewellery, crystal, rarest in the world, items, rare items, materials on earth, gemstones, most expensive objects, jewelry

Id: IJOecuGFUe8

Length: 20min 59sec (1259 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 25 2020