SCIENCE! What is the Rarest Precious Metal?

TL;DR

The rarest, most precious ring material would be platinum-190, a stable and non-reactive isotope of platinum.

Transcript

Hey, Vsauce. Michael here. And I'm in Anaheim at VidCon. I hope to see some of you here, because I like you guys. But I can't marry all of you. But if I did put a ring on it, what is the most precious thing you could make that ring out of? Silver, gold, platinum. Those are all fine, but I wanna know what is the rarest, most scarce thing on Earth th... Read More

Key Insights

• ❣️ Zinc dissolved in mercury and vanadium mixed with mercury and zinc can create heavy and colorful substances.
• 😋 Sulphur is not a rare element and is not suitable for a rare ring material.
• 🙅 Gold is un-reactive, making it a good option for a precious ring.
• 😋 Platinum-190, a stable isotope of platinum, is the rarest and most precious option for a ring material.
• 🏅 Gold is 40% more common than iridium, which is exceptionally resilient to various conditions.
• ✋ Cerium reacts at high temperatures to create beautiful sparkles.
• ❓ Osmium is one of the rarest elements, with fewer than one part per billion in the Earth's crust.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are some examples of colorful substances created by mixing elements?

Zinc dissolved in mercury and mixing vanadium with mercury and zinc can create colorful substances due to electron exchange and changes in oxidation states.

Q: Is gold a good option for a precious ring material?

Yes, gold is an excellent choice for a precious ring material due to its un-reactivity, except for specific solutions like aqua regia. It is a reliable way to store wealth and is more common than iridium.

Q: What is aqua regia and how is gold dissolved in it?

Aqua regia is a mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid. Gold can be dissolved in aqua regia by combining it with the mixture, resulting in the formation of chloroauric acid.

Q: Can elements be created through alchemy?

Yes, in modern particle accelerators, elements can be created by smashing particles together. At the accelerator collider at GSI, gold can be generated by smashing particles at a rate of 2 million gold atoms per second.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Zinc dissolved in mercury and aqueous solution of vanadium mixed with mercury and zinc can create colorful and heavy substances, but they are not rare elements.

• Sulphur, while dear to the narrator's heart, is also a common element and not suitable for a rare ring material.

• Gold is famous for being un-reactive and is a good option for a precious ring material, but platinum-190, a stable isotope of platinum, is the rarest and most precious option.