20 Most Expensive Materials on Earth

We often perceive gold and diamonds as the most expensive items. However, there are many materials on Earth that are far more valuable and expensive than diamonds, surpassing human imagination.

20. White Truffles: $5/gram, $2000/pound (453.5 grams)

This type of mushroom is used to season many dishes: pasta, beef, eggs, and rice. It is also made into white truffle oil and can be added to almost any dish.

19. Saffron: $11/gram (233,000 VND/gram)

Ranked 19th on the list is saffron, a substance that adds aroma to dishes and baked goods. Saffron is sold in two forms: powder and threads, depending on the user’s purpose.

18. Iranian Sturgeon Caviar: $35/gram – $1,000/ounce (28 grams)

This upscale dish is served cold and used as an appetizer alongside crackers or bread.

17. Platinum: $48/gram – $1,365/ounce (28 grams)

In addition to its use in jewelry and awards, platinum is also used in the medical field for producing anti-cancer drugs.

16. Gold: $56/gram (1.18 million VND/gram)

It is somewhat surprising that a precious metal like gold ranks 16th on this list. Pure gold is very soft, so it is often alloyed with silver, copper, platinum, or palladium to increase its durability. Gold alloys are commonly used for jewelry, decorative items, coins, and dental fillings. Additionally, gold has the properties of good thermal and electrical conductivity and does not tarnish when exposed to air, making it useful in semiconductors and for connecting electronic circuits.

15. Rhodium: $58/gram (1.23 million VND/gram)

William Hyde Wollaston, an English chemist (also the discoverer of palladium), discovered rhodium in a platinum ore. The name rhodium comes from the Greek word for “rose,” yet it has no connection to the color. Rhodium is often used to enhance the hardness and electrical conductivity of other metals.

14. Palladium: $60/gram (1.27 million VND/gram)

Palladium is indeed a special substance; it holds value in various industries, decoration, and even in healthcare and environmental applications. Over 20% of consumer goods are either made from or contain palladium. Additionally, palladium is used in jewelry, as a catalyst in electronic devices, and in conjunction with other substances in certain anti-cancer pharmaceuticals.

13. Methamphetamine: $100/gram (2.11 million VND/gram)

Methamphetamine is a synthetic stimulant with a high potential for addiction and severely negative health effects on users. Even during withdrawal, it is challenging for addicts to break free from this substance.

12. Rhino Horn: $110/gram (2.32 million VND/gram)

Rhinos are being hunted to near extinction due to the belief that their horns have miraculous healing properties. Unfortunately, numerous scientific studies have shown no convincing evidence supporting the health benefits of rhino horn for humans.

In Vietnam, rhino horn is highly valued, leading to a significant decline in the wild rhino population as humans pursue them solely for a horn whose value remains uncertain.

11. Heroin: $130/gram (2.75 million VND/gram)

Heroin is derived from morphine (a substance extracted from the opium poppy). It typically appears as a white or brown powder and is known by various names such as “smack,” “H,” “skag,” and “junk.” This substance has a high potential for addiction and is often referred to as “the white death” or “brown sugar.” However, the profits from the illegal heroin trade are so high that many individuals risk their lives, even confronting law enforcement, to profit from heroin.

10. Cocaine: $215/gram (4.55 million VND/gram)

Cocaine is also among the substances with a high potential for addiction and is extracted from the leaves of the Erythroxylum coca plant, native to the Andean highlands in South America. Cocaine is considered the most powerful natural stimulant. Interestingly, the name “cocaine” originated from the coca plants when Coca-Cola first added 9 mg of this substance to each bottle of their soft drink (in 1903), but the company later replaced it with other ingredients.

9. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD): $3000/gram (63.52 million VND/gram)

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) is regarded as the most expensive addictive substance on this list. It can induce hallucinations in humans with a very small dose. Users may exhibit uncontrolled behavior, often leading to unpredictable consequences. Therefore, it is best to stay away from it and abandon the idea of trying LSD even once.

8. Plutonium: 4000 USD/gram

Plutonium is a radioactive element famous for its role in generating nuclear energy through thermonuclear reactions—both in peacetime (nuclear power plants) and in wartime (nuclear bombs). Extremely toxic and flammable, plutonium’s scarcity in nature results in its high price, leading countries to include it on lists of substances that are stored and utilized under very strict regulations.

7. Painite: 9000 USD/gram

Discovered and named by Arthur C.D. Pain in 1950, Painite was not widely recognized at the time. It wasn’t until recently that larger Painite stones, suitable for cutting into gemstones, were discovered, drawing significant attention. Despite this, Painite is incredibly rare in nature, which explains why just 1 gram can cost over 9 million VND.

6. Taaffeite: 20,000 USD/gram

Discovered in 1945, Taaffeite captures the attention of gemstone enthusiasts with its mysterious and luxurious purple color. Unsurprisingly, Taaffeite is regarded as one of the most expensive gemstones today.

5. Tritium: 30,000 USD/gram

Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, synthesized during nuclear reactions (including nuclear tests). In research, it is used in thermonuclear reactors and neutron machines. In everyday life, Tritium is mixed with luminescent materials to create a continuous light source without batteries, such as sights for rifles.

4. Diamond: 55,000 USD/gram

While both diamonds and graphite are composed of carbon, diamonds possess a stable cubic crystal structure that is far more brilliant. Diamonds have an extremely high hardness and good thermal conductivity, making them valuable in industry for cutting tools and polishing metals. Additionally, diamonds are a symbol of luxury and have been mined by humans for centuries. Today, synthetic diamonds can be created, but they do not hold the same value as naturally formed diamonds.

3. Californium-252: 27 million USD/gram

Californium-252 is a rare radioactive isotope used in X-ray imaging, as a neutron source in reactors, and for cancer treatment and various scientific applications. It is important to note that Californium-252 is highly toxic if it comes into direct contact with the human body and can cause cancer if misused.

Scientists produce Californium by bombarding curium with alpha particles, resulting in this radioactive element with an atomic number of 98. Currently, 10 isotopes of Californium are known. Californium can only be artificially produced on Earth, but it is believed to have originated from a supernova explosion.

2. Endohedral Fullerenes: 145 – 167 million USD/gram

Model of endohedral fullerenes. (Photo: University of Oxford)

Endohedral fullerenes are fullerene molecules that typically contain additional atoms, ions, or clusters within their spherical structure. First created in 1985, endohedral fullerenes essentially consist of a carbon cage with a nitrogen atom trapped inside. This material has various applications in high-precision atomic clocks.

1. Antimatter: 6.25 trillion USD/gram

Antimatter exists in the form of particles that have the same mass as normal particles but different properties. When normal particles collide with antimatter particles, they produce a massive amount of energy in the form of high-energy photons (gamma rays), neutrinos, and others. The reason antimatter is so expensive is that it is extremely difficult to produce, and its applications are vast, making it the most expensive substance in the world today.

Just 1 gram of antimatter could replace all the fuel used for a space shuttle. The energy from a matter-antimatter reaction is 10 billion times greater than that of a chemical combustion reaction, potentially reducing the travel time between Mars and Earth from two years to just a few weeks.

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