Osmium metal ingot - one troy ounce - .9995 bullion
Osmium belongs to the platinum group metals (PGMs) and is the rarest stable element in the earth's crust and is also the most dense. Its estimated average concentration in the Earth's crust is 0.05 parts per billion. Worldwide annual production is only 1 or 2 tonnes of osmium compared to approximately 3000 tonnes of gold and 180 tonnes of platinum. It has unique properties that have a few applications in the medical and electronics industries. Please see the below links for more information.
Inscribed on our ingots are the chemical symbol (Os), purity (99.95%), weight (one troy ounce), and a serial number (this number is unique and will vary). On the reverse is our logo. These ingots are lightly polished, though are not as well polished as the single one pictured. These ingots are very hard and dense and as they are sintered, are prone to have small edge chips and shallow edge peels. Due to variability in sintering parameters, this batch came out a little less dense than most of our previous osmium batches and therefore are more porous and didn't polish as well. They are still very heavy for their size and they have a uniform gray to slightly blueish color that contrasts nicely with the white etching to make a fine looking ingot. Like with all of our products, these ingots were designed and manufactured with careful attention to weight and purity, both of which have been checked and rechecked throughout the manufacturing process and are guaranteed by us. So even though the density is less for this batch, the metal purity is still at least 99.95% and each ingot weights at least one troy ounce, often a gram or two more. The powder form of osmium can be dangerous given the high toxicity of its oxidized state, osmium tetroxide, and the greater surface area of powder for oxidation to occur. The solid ingot form that we sell is relatively safe. Please refer to the safety information that will come with your shipment, use appropriate handling precautions and store your osmium in a safe place away from children who might try to ingest it.
Please see our previous blog regarding "The Other 3 PGMs":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmium
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance_of_elements_in_Earth%27s_crust
http://www.curiousnotions.com/home/metals.asp