The Metals

Copper (Cu, atomic number 29) is a reddish transition metal with outstanding electrical and thermal conductivity, regarded as the oldest metal deliberately used by humans and today an indispensable industrial raw material.

Gold (chemical symbol Au, atomic number 79) is a yellow, corrosion-resistant precious metal that has been used for millennia as a store of value, a monetary metal and a functional material.

Iridium (Ir) is a silvery-white platinum group precious metal with one of the highest densities of all elements (22.56 g/cm³, just behind osmium) and exceptional corrosion resistance.

Osmium (Os, atomic number 76) is the densest naturally occurring element on Earth and belongs to the group of platinum metals.

Palladium (Pd, atomic number 46) is a silvery-white platinum-group precious metal used above all as a catalyst in vehicle exhaust systems and in the electronics industry.

Platinum is a rare, silvery-white precious metal of the platinum group with atomic number 78, regarded as one of the most valuable metals on Earth due to its exceptional corrosion resistance, catalytic properties and industrial versatility.

Platinum group metals (PGMs) are six chemically related transition metals – platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, osmium and ruthenium – distinguished by exceptional corrosion resistance, high melting points and catalytic properties.

Precious metals are a group of chemical elements distinguished by their high resistance to corrosion and oxidation, which occur in nature predominantly native — that is, in pure metallic form.

Rhodium (Rh) is a silvery-white platinum group precious metal used primarily as a catalyst in vehicle exhaust systems and for surface finishing, and is among the rarest and most expensive metals on Earth.

Ruthenium (Ru) is a rare platinum-group metal with exceptional hardness and corrosion resistance, used chiefly in the electronics industry and as an alloying additive.

Semi-precious metals are metals that show a certain resistance to corrosion but do not possess the full chemical resilience of the precious metals.

Silver (Ag) is a bright white precious metal with the highest electrical conductivity of all elements and is used both as an investment metal and in industry, photography and medicine.

White gold metals are the precious metals that give gold a silvery-white colour when used as alloying partners — above all palladium, platinum and nickel.