Californium is not found naturally on Earth but is produced synthetically. Due to its complex production process, rarity, and specialized uses, californium is priced at over $27 million per gram. There are only a few suppliers of this metal worldwide.

Gold is considered the most precious metal from a utility and investment perspective, but in terms of price, the world's most expensive metal is something else. This precious metal is called Californium. Its value can be gauged from the fact that selling one gram of Californium can buy 200 kilograms of gold. This may surprise you for a moment, but it's true. Let us tell you why Californium is such an expensive metal and where it is used.

What is Californium

Californium is an artificial radioactive chemical element. Being a synthetically produced element (one that cannot be found in nature), californium is extremely rare and expensive. Its high price is due to its synthetic nature, extreme rarity, and the complex process required to produce it in nuclear reactors.

The price of one gram of californium

One gram of californium metal costs $27 million, or ₹239 crore (approximately $1.2 crore) per kilogram, while gold costs ₹1.2 crore (approximately $1.2 crore) per kilogram. Therefore, one gram of californium can buy 200 kilograms of gold.

Californium is an artificial, radioactive chemical element with the symbol Cf. Remarkably, this metal was discovered in 1950 by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, so californium was named after the university where the research took place.

In fact, californium doesn't occur naturally on Earth. It's a purely synthetic element, and its production process is extremely complex. Due to its rarity and its use in specialized applications, californium costs over $27 million per gram, and there are only a few suppliers worldwide.

Where is californium used?

The most important use of californium is in nuclear reactors. Therefore, the metal is a vital component for the nuclear industry. It is also used in small modular reactors, medical treatments, space exploration, industrial applications, and homeland security.

In medical treatment, californium plays a vital role in cancer treatment through a method called neutron therapy. This therapy uses californium-252 to target and destroy cancer cells with high precision.

PC:Jagran