Tantalum is one of the most exotic metals that have everyday industrial applications. Your smartphone contains tiny capacitors that utilize it and though a negligible quantity per phone when multiplied by the hundreds of millions the demand becomes enormous. So valuable is this specialty metal that, sadly, its ores in Congo have become the focus of a ruinous war between rival gangs attempting to control its ownership. This war, the strong demand and the outright rarity of the metal make tantalum one of the most expensive industrial metals; gram per gram more expensive than silver!

10mm cubes weigh 16.7±0.3g.

25.4mm cubes weigh 274±1g.