Customs

This area is reserved for customs authorities. If access to the Osmium World Database is required, customs authorities can contact us via the hotline of the Osmium Institutes and obtain confirmation of the authenticity of crystalline osmium.

Already registered customs authorities can also use the download area to obtain further information.

Please download the commodity classification system for global trade in crystalline osmium here. The commodity classification system includes circa prices for defined osmium products, which are redefined internationally every year at the annual osmium symposia.

If you have any questions, please contact +49 89 7 44 88 88 88

In case of authentification of an owner who wants to transport crystalline osmium as a semi-finished product or in jewelry across a border, the latest entry in the Osmium World Database of Osmium Owners can be provided via the Osmium Institutes upon request for legal assistance.

CUSTOMS CLEARANCE FOR OSMIUM

• Osmium is a precious metal.
• It has atomic number 76 in the periodic table of chemical elements.
• It is the rarest non-radioactive element on Earth.
• Crystalline osmium is used in the tangible asset market and the jewelry market.

To be utilized for this purpose, the metal undergoes chemical and physical preparation. These processes take place in Switzerland and Germany. During these procedures, the osmium must cross the border between Switzerland and Germany multiple times at various stages.

This document serves the purpose of defining the values of osmium during transport across the border for import and export and is intended for submission to customs authorities.

Pro forma invoices must be generated in accordance with the specifications outlined in this document.

Each year, during the symposia of the Osmium World Council, new prices and value determinations for osmium are calculated and established. These prices remain valid for one year and are provided to customs authorities for reference.

Additionally, osmium is, in rare cases, delivered in forms known as sintered bars or melted beads. According to the latest findings, these products are not definitively classified as non-toxic and must not be transported by private individuals. They may only be transported under defined safety regulations, as they pose a risk of harm to individuals.

The respective customs classifications include information regarding the toxicity or safety of each form of osmium, which customs officers must consider when handling these goods.

The "Osmium Goods Classification Register" is issued annually by the "Osmium Institute for the Distribution and Certification of Osmium GmbH" following the World Osmium Symposium.

It is published on the website www.osmium-world-council.com.

Customs officers can access the customs section of the World Council’s website upon request. This section provides, in addition to the goods classification register, trade flow diagrams, information on ownership transfers, and access to the ownership verification register for customs use.

Upon verification of their credentials, customs officers are granted access to this section.

Goods Classification 0

Raw osmium in alloy form or as a component in ores, meaning as an admixture with other metals, as well as sintered or polished bars and melted beads. Osmiridium and iridosmium are alloys of osmium and iridium. This quality is used to separate osmium from the raw material.

Sintered bars, sanded shapes and melted beads are generally impure objects composed of osmium with an admixture to improve sintering properties. In the case of melted beads, carbon is also present at the electrode contact points.

The value determination is based on the additional metals contained. For overall value assessment, it is priced at €3 per gram net, calculated based on the analyzed weight percentage of osmium content.  

Raw osmium in alloy form is considered harmful to health but not toxic. Depending on the osmium concentration, it acts as a lung and eye irritant. Handling should be conducted under an inert gas atmosphere.

Goods Classification 1

Raw Osmium with a Purity Below 3N (99.9%)

These qualities cannot be used for crystallization or hightech applications. They are often utilized for counterfeiting gold bars or for producing so-called melted beads or sintered bars, which are considered collector’s items but have not been confirmed as safe for health.

Current Value 2026: €16 per gram (net).

Raw osmium with a purity of up to 3N is classified as harmful to health and potentially toxic, depending on concentration. When exposed to atmospheric oxygen, it acts as a lung and eye irritant. Handling must be conducted under an inert gas atmosphere.

Goods Classification 2

Fine Osmium with a Purity Above 3N (99.9%)

The special grade 4N is referred to as fine osmium, as it has been cleaned up for special technical purposes. The designation was chosen in reference to the gold market to facilitate comparison.

Current Value 2026: €52 per gram (net).

Fine osmium with a purity between 3N and 6N is classified as harmful to health and potentially toxic, depending on concentration. When exposed to atmospheric oxygen, it acts as a lung and eye irritant. Handling must be conducted under an inert gas atmosphere.

Goods Classification 3

HighTechReady-Osmium with purities of 4N – 7N (99.99% - 99,99999%)

This quality is sufficient for crystallization and hightech, provided that no specific elements dominate the impurities and interfere with the crystallization process or further usage in hightech. These elements must have been removed through a special high-purification process. Current Value depends on availability.

Raw osmium in any purity is classified as harmful to health and potentially toxic, depending on concentration. When exposed to atmospheric oxygen, it acts as a lung and eye irritant. Handling must be conducted under an inert gas atmosphere. It is advisable to have Class 3 material stored professionally.

Goods Classification 4

Free-Crystalline Osmium (3D Wild-Growth Crystals) 4N – 9N

Osmium that has undergone free crystallization in a laboratory at various purity levels.

Free-crystalline osmium is primarily used by collectors to include the element in private collections. Unlike raw osmium, melt beads, and sintered bars, it is non-toxic and poses no health risks.

Current Value 2026: €40 per gram (net).

Free-crystalline osmium has a high purity level and is non-toxic, non-hazardous, and completely safe. Extensive laboratory and long-term studies have confirmed its harmlessness.

Goods Classification 5

Flat-Crystalline, Untrimmed Osmium Semi-Finished Product (up to 2 mm Layer Thickness) 9N – 11N

Osmium that has undergone full-purity crystallization and is available in a flat form without spikes or nano-holes. This material has not yet been edge-trimmed.

These flat-crystallized semi-finished products are used as raw materials for the production of investment goods. The excess edges of these raw disks have not yet been geometrically defined and trimmed into a round shape.

Flat-crystalline, untrimmed osmium semi-finished products have a high purity level and are non-toxic, non-hazardous, and completely safe. Extensive laboratory and long-term studies have confirmed their harmlessness.

Goods Classification 6

Flat-Crystalline, Edge-Trimmed Osmium Semi-Finished Product (up to 2 mm Layer Thickness) 9N – 11N

Osmium that has undergone full-purity crystallization and is available in a flat form without spikes or nano-holes. These pieces are already edge-trimmed into a round shape or are available as rectangular bars.

Flat-crystallized semi-finished products are used as investment goods and are delivered in the form of Osmium Disks, Osmium Bars, and Osmium Squares, following the US Rulings, Canadian Rulings, UAE Rulings, and Australian Rulings for investment and processing purposes.

Current Value 2026: Daily price available at www.osmium-preis.com.

(This is not a fixed exchange rate but a daily price influenced by production volume and quality control.)

All pieces are certified by Osmium Institutes and registered in the Osmium World Database in accordance with international customs agreements. Each piece carries a unique Osmium Identification Code, which contains its certification data.

Certified flat-crystalline osmium is considered impossible to counterfeit internationally. Authentication is verified by processors, investors, and customs authorities using the scan database.

Flat-crystalline, edge-trimmed osmium semi-finished products have a high purity level and are non-toxic, non-hazardous, and completely safe. Extensive laboratory and long-term studies have confirmed their harmlessness.

Goods Classificaion 7

Flat-Crystalline Osmium Inlay (up to a maximum layer thickness of 2 mm) 9N – 11N

Osmium that has been crystallized to full purity and is available in a flat form without spikes or nanoholes. Pre-cut shapes intended for use as inlays in the jewelry and watch industry, as well as for artistic processing.  

These flat-crystallized inlays are used in jewelry similarly to diamonds. They are delivered to end customers and processors in accordance with U.S. rulings.

The current 2026 price per gram can be found at www.osmium-preis.com as the daily material price, plus applicable processing costs. (This is not a market rate but a daily price influenced by production volume and quality control, to which cutting and certification costs are added.)

All pieces are certified by Osmium Institutes and registered in the Osmium World Database in accordance with international customs agreements. Each piece carries an Osmium Identification Code, which contains certification data.

Certified, flat-crystalline osmium is internationally considered impossible to counterfeit. Authenticity verification is conducted by processors, investors, and customs authorities using the scan database.

Flat-crystalline osmium inlays have very high purity, are non-toxic, non-hazardous to health, and therefore entirely safe. To confirm its safety, it has been subjected to extensive laboratory and long-term testing.

Goods Classification 8

Flat-Crystalline Osmium Offcut (up to 2 mm Layer Thickness) 3N with Contamination from Wire-Cutting (EDM) Process.

Offcut is generated through:

• Edge trimming of Goods Classification 5
• Cutting of rectangular bars from Goods Classification 6
• Cutting of osmium inlays from Goods Classification 7

During cutting, the material is contaminated by the EDM wire, requiring it to be returned to the beginning of the processing cycle. It is classified similarly to an alloy of raw osmium and other metals. However, the minor contaminants are strictly limited to copper, molybdenum, or brass alloys.

Current Value 2026: €120 per gram (net)

Flat-crystalline osmium offcut maintains high purity and is non-toxic, non-hazardous, and completely safe. Extensive laboratory and long-term studies confirm its harmlessness.

Goods Classification 9

Isotopically Pure Osmium-187

¹⁸⁷Os is many times rarer than osmium in its natural isotopic distribution.

Das Material ist nicht radioaktiv und entstammt der Rhenium Zerfallsreihe oder wurde im Reaktor gezüchtet. It does not come from platinum mines but rather from rhenium extraction.

Its rarity determines its price, which is not supported by real market trade and can therefore be highly volatile.

Indicative Price (regardless of quality or crystallization): €50,000 per gram (net).