

Things That Are More Valuable Than Gold
Humans have an affinity for expensive things and will go to great lengths to acquire them. Gold is one of them and it was especially popular throughout most of human history, particularly with the rich who took great pleasure in adorning themselves with the shiny metal. Today, gold is fairly affordable ($57 per gram), but it’s hardly the most valuable item in the world. If you want to know more, keep scrolling to learn about five things that hold more value than gold.
1. Antimatter
Antimatter isn’t a made-up word cooked up by some random science fiction writer, it’s real, and has been known to the science community since the early 20th century. It is defined as any matter composed of antiparticles of any corresponding particles of ordinary matter. It can be created in particle accelerators, but because it is annihilated after coming into contact with matter, it can only be stored in electric and magnetic fields. None of this is cheap and while it isn’t a tradable commodity, a single gram of antimatter was estimated by NASA in 1999 at around $62.5 trillion.
2. Red Diamonds
Clear diamonds alone are more valuable than gold, but the red varieties might cost you an arm and a leg, or all four. This is because they are the rarest gemstones on the planet, with only 30 of them found so far and most of them weighing less than half a carat or about 0.1 gram. Prices vary depending on the market conditions, but on average red diamonds sell for nearly $1 million per carat and $5 million per gram. The largest red diamond found so far was only 5.11 carats in size and was sold for a whopping $8 million in 2011.
3. Snake Venom
Antivenom is a life saver for anyone who’s been bitten by a deadly snake, but you can’t make antivenom without the actual venom. Getting the venom is a lengthy and risky process, and the deadlier the snake, the more money you have to hand over. So, if you want King Cobra venom then it’s $3,785 per gram or $153,000 per gallon. Coral Snake venom? Then that will be $4,000 per gram. Snake venom also has some medicinal properties – it is a powerful painkiller, reduces blood pressure and can even break up blood clots.
4. Caterpillar Fungus
Just what exactly is caterpillar fungus? The name says it all – a parasitic fungus from the Himalayan mountains that feeds on a caterpillar from the inside before sprouting out of its head like a jack-in-the-box. Sounds kind of gross, but it’s really expensive and can sell up to three times its weight in gold. It is well sought out in the medical community due to its anti-inflammatory properties that could lead to new drugs for asthma, diabetes and cancer. That’s why people are more than willing to pay up to $125 per gram or $63,000 for a pound.
5. Da Hong Pao Tea
This Chinese herbal tea is definitely not something you’ll find in your local supermarket. With only six Da Hong Pao trees remaining in the world, it’s no wonder why you’ll have to pay nearly $1,400 for a gram of tea or almost $10,000 for a pot. This tea is known for its long-lasting aftertaste and its potent orchid flavor that allows it to be steeped up to nine times. The trees are considered to be national treasures and are strictly monitored by the Chinese government in case of thieves.
Recent Posts
-
Facts About Sleeping That’ll Make You Want to Stop
02 | 06 | 2023
We spend a third of our lives sleeping. We all look forward to having restful sleep particularly at night and waking up feeling rejuvenated. While …
-
Jobs AI Can’t Take Away From Humans… At Least Not Yet
02 | 05 | 2023
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is ubiquitous and is becoming increasingly smart and efficient. While AI has proven to be beneficial, there is growing concern that it …
-
Air Stunts Pilots Pulled That Saved Many Lives
02 | 04 | 2023
Aviation is a risky business. Getting on a plane means placing your life in the hands of a pilot and that can be a scary …
-
Syndromes You Didn’t Know Existed
02 | 03 | 2023
Sometimes, reality can appear much stranger than fiction. There are many diseases in this world that are so rare and unusual that they’ve been named …
-
The Most Dangerous Roads in the World
02 | 02 | 2023
Roads are one of the oldest man-made constructs in the world, and despite our technological advancements, many of them still remain very unsafe and hazardous. …
Leave a Reply