Aluminum Was a Precious Metal

Chemistry, Technology
[caption id="attachment_10187" align="alignright" width="440"] Bas-relief aluminum door in the Hunt Library.[/caption] Various materials and artifacts bring a high price. This is because of their beauty, low availability, or craftsmanship. Some desirable objects are so rare we consider them precious. These include platinum, silver, and gold. But not aluminum. Yet during the 19th Century this bright and shiny metal was highly valued. How can that be so? Aluminum Deposits It is the most common metal in earth. It is not especially beautiful. So why did the metal once bring so high a price? In a sense it was scarce. It was unavailable. Availability [caption id="attachment_20663" align="alignright" width="200"] 1893 cast aluminum angel statue, Piccadilly Circus, London - Image by Michael Reeve[/caption] Diamonds are highly prized. Yet, they are fairly common. The number…
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