Precious metals
Precious metals are metals that are resistant to corrosion, that is, that are permanently chemically stable in natural environments under the action of air and water. Due to their durability, gold and silver have been used since antiquity for the production of jewellery and coins.
In addition, the platinum-group metals have been discovered over the last four centuries. These show similar corrosion-resistant characteristics such as gold. To date, gold, silver, platinum and palladium all play an important role in global markets.
Osmium is commercially available since 2014 as it can now be traded in its crystallised form. Thus, it can be used as a means of payment, asset or jewellery metal in the market. Non-crystalline osmium is harmful to health. For this reason, osmium could not be brought to market before the crystallisation process was available.
