Tantal
Melting point 3020°C
Mohs hardness 6.5
Element symbol Ta of tantalum (greek)
Tantalum is a little-known, dark, purple-gray, steel-hard, heavy metal. Its specific gravity of 16.6 g is equivalent to that of 18 kt gold. Its percentage in the earth’s crust is only 0.0002%, making it similar to gold. Just these two metals placed next to each other – exert a peculiar fascination. Because of its special attributes during processing and its extremely high melting point, tantalum has not been processed much into jewelry. This gives tantalum a renewing role in current jewelry design and brings a refreshing accent to our visual habits.