The Osmium-Institut Zur Inverkehrbringung Und Zertifizierung Von Osmium GmbH is at Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong (JGW) to highlight the potential of crystalline osmium as a jewellery material.

Sourced as a by-product of platinum mining, osmium is one of the world’s rarest precious metals, said the institute. Only 30 grams of osmium can be found in 10,000 tonnes of platinum ore. In its crystallised form, it is the last of the eight precious metals to be made tradeable in the market. As of September 11, 2024, the price of osmium stood at US$1,587.92 per gram.

Highly sought after as a store of wealth, crystalline osmium has been used in luxury watches, high-end consumer goods such as headphones and even collectible pieces such as the world’s most valuable newly built violin. It is now gaining more popularity in the jewellery world as inlays and accents for upmarket pieces.

Hong Kong-based Tania Chan is the first high-end jewellery designer in Asia to use osmium in her jewellery designs. These were launched at JGW and are on display at the Osmium Institute’s booth in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Pure raw osmium is crystallised in Switzerland and certified in Germany before distribution in the market. According to the institute, each crystalline osmium piece has a unique crystal structure. Every single piece is scanned and documented with an identification code in the Osmium World Database, making it unforgeable.