Rhodium - one of the most expensive precious metals in the world

If we mention the world's most precious metal, it can be said that the vast majority of people would think of gold, followed by silver. Gold and silver are indeed very valuable. But there are many metals in the world that are more valuable than gold, which means that gold is not the most expensive. In fact, the value of metals usually depends on their rarity, difficulty in extraction process, characteristics, application fields, and market demand, and the shapes and sizes of precious metals also vary.

Rhodium - one of the most expensive precious metals in the world

Reference price: 313469.78 USD/kg

Rhodium was discovered by William Wollaston in 1803 due to the light red color of a rose in the solution of rhodium salts.

Rare things are precious. The content of six elements, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum, is very rare in the crust. Except for platinum with a content of 5 parts per billion and palladium with a content of 1 part per billion in the crust, the four elements of ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, and iridium all have a content of only 1 part per billion in the crust. In addition, they are mostly dispersed in various ores and lack large aggregation, making them very expensive. These six elements are chemically called platinum group elements, also known as precious metals.

Rhodium is the most expensive precious metal in the world. Rhodium particularly has a high melting point and astonishing corrosion resistance. This silver genus is usually used due to its reflective properties. The price of rhodium was once four times that of gold.

Important features: silver white, hard, corrosion-resistant

Main producing countries: South Africa, Russia, Canada, and other producing countries. It is worth mentioning that over 95% of China's platinum group metal resources are distributed in Gansu, Yunnan, Sichuan, Heilongjiang, and Hebei provinces, with Gansu Province alone accounting for 57.5% of the national reserves. The reserves of these provinces are mostly concentrated in three large mineral deposits: Jinchuan in Gansu, Jinbaoshan in Yunnan, and Yangliuping in Sichuan.

Important use: Rhodium metal is commonly used in the lighting industry and mirror production; In the automotive industry, used as a catalyst and headlight reflector; Rhodium is also known as jewelry, especially for its scratch resistant finish of "platinum". Rhodium can be used as a bright and hard coating for other metals, such as on silver or camera parts. Evaporating rhodium onto the surface of the glass forms a thin layer of wax, which can create a very excellent reflective mirror.