Rhodium

Rhodium is currently the most expensive metal in the world, because it is very rare.

It is recognized for its non-oxidizing qualities in air, unalterable, resistant to chemical corrosion

In 2024, the price of rhodium per kilo will be around €180,000.

Rhodium was identified in 1803 by the famous British chemist William Hyde Wollaston, who was already renowned for his discovery of palladium.

This new metal was thus to be named " Rhodium " by Wollaston, in reference to the Greek term rhodon , which means "rose".

This word referred to the color of the same name, because of the pink color that the metal gives to a solution of rhodium sulfate.

Rhodium is used in the automotive industry, jewelry, electronics and in various chemical reactions.

In jewelry, Rhodium is used for rhodium plating, to plate solid silver or white gold jewelry in order to preserve its shine, brilliance and non-corrosion.

Rhodium is found in extremely limited quantities in the earth's crust,

South Africa is positioning itself as the world's leading player in rhodium mining, followed by countries such as Russia, Canada and the United States.

Rhodium is usually extracted as a by-product during the mining of other metals, particularly those belonging to the platinum group, because these metals are often associated in the same deposits.

It can be purchased in the form of bullion or coins.

Rhodium is not as readily available for purchase as other precious metals such as gold or silver.