The 17 most expensive materials that exist in the world

People have believed, for many centuries, that gold is one of the most expensive materials in the world. Well apparently, this is far from the truth.

Here is a compiled list of materials of value, rated from the lowest price per each to the highest one. And guess what: gold is not even in the top three here.

16. Saffron ($11 for 1 gram)

A unique spice, that has fantastic taste and great health benefits. Its production process is highly time and effort consuming, but the flavor and healing properties of the saffron can't be matched by any other spice.

15. Gold ($56 for 1 gram)

Here we have the most well-known precious metal that no woman can supposedly live without. Gold has been chased after since ancient times, and all beautiful things are inevitably compared against it.

14. Rhodium ($58 for 1 gram)

This is a metal of the platinum group, and an extremely rare one. Just so you get the idea, let's say one ton of the earth's crust contains about 0.001g of rhodium.

13. Platinum ($60 for 1 gram)

This is a rare and precious metal of a silvery steel color. Just like gold, it is highly resistant to acids, alkali, water and other compounds.

12. Methamphetamine ($100 for 1 gram)

This is what the protagonists in 'Breaking Bad' were cooking. It's prohibited by law, and you'll probably be safer if you don't ever see it in person.

11. Rhinoceros's horn ($110 for 1 gram)

Although science has proven that rhino horn has no medicinal properties, they are still considered valuable because of their use as great knife handles. Because of hunters, the poor rhinos are already on the verge of extinction.

10. Heroin ($130 for 1 gram)

An opiate that changes your perception. Once again, you'd better you never see one for yourself if you don't seek trouble. If the idea behind it is true, it's very hard to get, and that's probably why it's so expensive.

9. Cocaine ($236 for 1 gram)

A drug that costs a fortune yet won't do you any good whatsoever. This white crystal powder is an extremely dangerous narcotic. Its higher price, as compared to the previous one, is explained by its 'purity'.

8. LSD ($3,000 for 1 gram)

A psychoactive narcotic substance, and a very expensive delayed death. The manufacturing process of this semi-synthetic drug is quite difficult, which explains the cost.

7. Plutonium ($4,000 for 1 gram)

Used in 'Back To The Future' to send Marty McFly into the past, a heavy yet fragile radioactive metal of silvery-white color. Its uses vary from production of nuclear weapons and fuel to a source of energy for spacecrafts.

6. Painite ($9,000 for 1 gram)

This stone is extremely rare and very few people actually know it exists. It's a mineral of orange, reddish-brown color, and was only discovered 65 years ago. There are roughly a couple hundred of these stones in the world today.

5. Taaffeite ($20,000 for 1 gram, or $4,000 per carat)

A precious stone of violet, pink, red, or white color. It is million times more rare than even diamonds, making it almost legendary. However, despite its uniqueness, it's not very popular when it comes to jewelry - and that's probably the reason why it's relatively inexpensive.

4. Tritium ($30,000 for 1 gram)

A gas used in lighting - for example, in tritium illumination. It costs about $15 million to produce 1 pound of tritium.

3. Diamond ($55,000 for 1 gram)

The most famous and precious stone on earth, best friend of any lady, and probably one of the strongest and sharpest materials used for cutting.

2. Californium ($25-27 million for 1 gram)

The most expensive chemical element compound ever. It has been synthesized only once since its discovery in 1950.

1. Antimatter ($62.5 trillion for 1 gram)

Antimatter is the sub-atomic negative of Matter - which is what all materials in the world are made of. It is the most expensive substance on earth. The production of one milligram of positrons costs about $25 million. In theory, we might be able to use antimatter as fuel for spacecrafts in the future. But the drawback today is that to make just one gram of it, all of mankind will have to work for about a year without rest.

Bonus: Jade stone - $170 million

Miners in Myanmar have found the world’s largest jade stone in a remote mine in Kachin State, in the northern part of the country. The stone is 14ft high and 19ft long, and weighs approximately 200 tons. This beautiful jade stone will be sent to China, where it will be carved up into expensive jewelry and sculptures.

Credit: BrightSide