Buzz
For much of human history, gold has been one of the most coveted materials. From efforts to turn lead into gold, to being a cornerstone of national economies, to its dazzling use in jewelry, its allure has been unmatched.
Even though gold is rare and holds intrinsic value, it's not the most valuable substance we have. The following ten things surpass the cost of a gram of gold (approximately $57 as of August 2021) and hold greater inherent worth.
10. Caterpillar Fungus
The caterpillar fungus is aptly named, and its appearance makes its title clear. A fungus that grows from the soil, it extends a worm-like protrusion, and beneath the surface, you'll discover a part that resembles a caterpillar. In Tibet, it’s called 'yartsa gunbu,' meaning 'summer grass, winter worm.'
The reason the fungus resembles a caterpillar is because it essentially is one. "This caterpillar buries itself a few inches into the soil. Unbeknownst to it, the fungus is feeding on it from the inside, and in the spring, the tissue bursts out of the caterpillar's head."
The remaining part of the caterpillar is the valuable section, and it’s easy to see why. The caterpillar fungus is often referred to as the Viagra of the Himalayas. A Tibetan medical text from the 15th century even called it "An Ocean of Aphrodisiacal Qualities."
You might assume that the black truffle is the most expensive fungus, but it falls short compared to the caterpillar fungus. While black truffles can cost around $1.76 per gram, the far rarer caterpillar fungus can reach about $110 per gram, making it nearly twice as precious as gold.
9. Iridium
Iridium is one of the rarest elements in the Earth’s crust, but it is mostly found in meteorites. Evidence of a massive impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago was identified through a layer of iridium found in the Earth's geological layers.
Discovered in 1803, iridium is a silvery-white metal that is both incredibly dense and brittle. It's the second heaviest metal known and is extremely rare on Earth, yet it has a wide array of applications across different industries.
Iridium is highly valued for its exceptional resistance to corrosion, making it an ideal hardening agent in platinum alloys. Its commercial uses surged in the early 2000s, particularly with the rise of flat-screen LED televisions, where iridium plays a key role in their construction.
Iridium's high price stems from its rarity. Since asteroid mining is not yet feasible, extracting it is both challenging and expensive. Iridium currently trades for approximately $6,100 per ounce, or $215 per gram, making it around 3.75 times more valuable than gold.
8. Rhodium
Rhodium, often the most expensive metal in the world depending on market conditions, is a silvery-white metal from the platinum group. Naturally corrosion-resistant and chemically inert, rhodium is commonly used as a catalyst in car three-way catalytic converters, which you likely have in your vehicle.
Around 80% of rhodium's global demand comes from the automotive sector, but it has another potential use that you might encounter. Thanks to its resistance to corrosion, rhodium is often used to coat items like white gold and sterling silver. So, there’s a good chance you’ve come into contact with rhodium at some point.
Despite this, the automotive industry remains the largest consumer of rhodium, and the demand for this scarce metal frequently drives its price upwards. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, rhodium traded at about $950 per gram, though it had decreased to roughly $550 per gram by mid-August 2021.
Rhodium's high value also comes from its extreme rarity. It is the rarest of the platinum group metals, found in just one part per 200 million in the Earth's crust. In contrast, gold can be found in around 0.5-5 parts per million, depending on how it is mined.
7. Snake Venom
Most people associate snake venom with danger, as it can cause serious injury or even death when injected by a venomous snake. However, snake venom has other uses beyond its harmful effects.
Snake venom is crucial for producing antivenom and has other medical applications. It can serve as a potent pain reliever, dissolve blood clots, and even lower blood pressure. However, it’s not easily obtained since snakes have to be ‘milked,’ making the process both difficult and expensive.
Some types of snake venom are more valuable than others, and the reason is fairly obvious. The most expensive venoms come from the most dangerous snakes. For example, the King Cobra’s venom, which contains a potent painkiller, is valued at around $153,000 per gallon, or $3,785 per gram.
The venom of the Coral Snake, the second-most venomous snake after the Black Mamba, costs about $4,000 per gram. This makes it nearly 11 times more valuable than gold.
6. Da Hong Pao Tea
You might not expect to find tea on this list, but Da Hong Pao tea is no ordinary tea. This Chinese tea is made from leaves of the Da Hong Pao tree and is prepared according to strict traditional methods. Its production is closely regulated by the Chinese government.
There are only six remaining mother Da Hong Pao trees left on Earth, and they grow on a cliffside in the Wuyi Mountains, earning them the status of national treasures. Harvesting and preparing the leaves involves seven meticulous steps: picking, withering, cooling, making, stir-frying, kneading, and baking.
Da Hong Pao tea is a green-brown color and has the fragrance of orchids. Known for its enduring aftertaste, it is unique in that it can be steeped up to nine times. Additionally, it has been used as a remedy for various ailments, as it contains compounds that promote healthy blood circulation.
Due to the rarity of the trees — only six exist — the price of Da Hong Pao tea is extraordinarily high, with one gram costing around $1,400 and a pot selling for about $10,000. In 2002, 20 grams of this tea was sold for a staggering $28,000. When Richard Nixon visited China, he was gifted 200 grams. The cost of just one gram is nearly 25 times that of a gram of gold.
5. Plutonium
Unless you happen to own a DeLorean with a flux capacitor, chances are you’ll never encounter plutonium. This rare metal is highly radioactive, capable of accumulating in bones and extremely hazardous to handle. Despite its dangerous properties, plutonium is far from worthless, and is in fact incredibly valuable.
Plutonium-239 and plutonium-241 are fissile, meaning they can sustain a nuclear chain reaction. This property makes plutonium a critical element in the construction of nuclear weapons and reactors. Due to its rarity, plutonium is often synthesized, as gathering it from natural sources is challenging.
First discovered in 1938, plutonium wasn’t synthesized until 1940 during the Manhattan Project. Though it is most commonly synthesized, plutonium can also occur naturally, albeit in small amounts. It can be found in trace elements within natural uranium-238, though this happens only when the uranium is exposed to neutrons from decaying uranium-238 atoms.
Regardless of how it is sourced, plutonium’s value is staggering. If you happen to work in an industry that requires plutonium, expect to pay approximately $4,000 per gram. This makes it roughly 70 times the price of gold per gram.
4. Red Diamonds
While diamonds are already more valuable than gold by weight, the clear variety of diamonds are considered common. It’s the colored diamonds, particularly the red ones, that are truly rare and command the highest value in the diamond world.
Red diamonds are not just rare among diamonds, they are the rarest gemstones known to exist on Earth. Only about 30 red diamonds have ever been discovered, and most of these are smaller than half a carat (approximately 0.1 gram).
Red diamonds can fetch astronomical prices, sometimes reaching $1 million per carat (or $5 million per gram) depending on market trends. The largest red diamond ever sold, a 5.11-carat gem, went for $8 million in 2011, weighing slightly more than a gram of gold.
In comparison to gold, red diamonds are 87,719 times more valuable. While this could change if vast quantities of red diamonds were discovered, the extreme rarity of these stones makes such a scenario highly improbable.
3. Antimatter
For most people, antimatter exists only in science fiction, but it has been recognized by scientists since the early 20th century. Antimatter consists of antiparticles, which are counterparts to the particles that make up ordinary matter. While particle accelerators can create antimatter, the major challenge is that when antimatter comes into contact with matter, both are annihilated.
Antimatter cannot be stored in a conventional container, so it requires the use of electric and magnetic fields to keep it stable. Various methods exist to manage it, but none are easy. The longest successful storage of antimatter lasted 405 days, although there are ongoing efforts to extend this time frame.
The production of antimatter through a particle accelerator is a costly endeavor, and the amount produced is incredibly small. Nonetheless, antimatter holds significant potential for both practical and theoretical applications, such as in medical imaging and the propulsion of spacecraft.
While antimatter isn't something that can be traded on the market, NASA has estimated its value. In 1999, they calculated that a gram of antihydrogen would cost around $62.5 trillion. This mind-boggling number makes antimatter the most expensive substance known to humanity, with a value 1,096,491,228,070 times that of gold.
2. Francium
Francium was the last naturally occurring element to be discovered on the Periodic Table. However, it can also be synthesized, which is fortunate since it is so rare that it is almost nonexistent. Estimates suggest that at any given time, only about 20 to 30 grams of francium can be found in the Earth's crust.
Francium is found in trace amounts within thorium and uranium, but due to its short half-life of only 22 minutes, it rapidly decays. It’s highly radioactive and challenging to synthesize. The largest sample ever created consisted of just 300,000 atoms, which is still far too few to observe.
Because of francium's rarity and its rapid decay, it has no practical commercial applications. Currently, its only use is for scientific research, although it may one day assist in diagnostic tests for specific types of cancer. Despite its lack of commercial purpose, its extreme rarity gives it value.
A single gram of francium is worth around $1 billion. That’s a billion dollars for an element that disappears in under an hour. Nevertheless, its scientific uses, particularly in research, grant it value. A gram of francium is 17,543,859 times more expensive than gold.
1. Californium
Californium is a synthetic element that was first discovered in 1950. Its name comes from California, where it was created at the University of California Radiation Laboratory. Though it is manufactured, the process yields very small amounts, which makes it quite costly and valuable for its various practical applications.
Californium stands as the priciest chemical traded as a commodity. While it can be found naturally, its most prevalent isotope has a half-life of only 2.6 years, meaning it’s not found in significant amounts within the Earth's crust. When it was first created, just around 5,000 atoms with a half-life of 44 minutes were produced.
The primary production of Californium occurs in two labs: the Scientific Center of Atomic Reactors in Russia and the Oak Ridge Atomic Reactors in the U.S. The element has a variety of industrial applications, with certain isotopes emitting neutrons used to initiate nuclear reactors. It also plays a role in the treatment of brain and cervical cancer.
Due to the difficulty of producing it in large quantities, Californium is valued at around $27 million per gram. While prices may vary, that is the typical cost. Californium’s value on the commodities market makes it approximately 473,684 times more expensive than gold.
