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Osmium isn’t magnetic, it’s paramagnetic. This means osmium is weakly attracted to a magnetic field.
Osmium is paramagnetic because it has a few unpaired electrons in its d orbitals, and these unpaired electrons act like tiny magnets.
Osmium’s paramagnetism is measured in a lab, but for all practical purposes (like handling pure osmium bullion or osmium-coated jewelry) osmium doesn’t magnetize.
However, osmium alloyed with magnetic and ferromagnetic metals can become magnetic if the amount of magnetic material is sufficiently high.
Learn about it below!
- Is it Possible to Test Osmium Purity With Magnets?
- Is Pure Osmium Bullion Magnetic?
- Is Pure Osmium Jewelry Magnetic?
- Is Raw Osmium Magnetic?
- Is Osmium More or Less Magnetic than Gold?
- Is Osmium More or Less Magnetic than Silver?
- Is Osmium More or Less Magnetic than Platinum?
- Is Osmium More or Less Magnetic than Palladium?
- Can Pure Osmium Stop Being Paramagnetic Under Certain Circumstances?
Here’s an awesome quiz about osmium’s magnetic properties. Take it after you’ve read my guide for your best results.
Table of Contents
Is it Possible to Test Osmium Purity With Magnets?
No, it’s not possible to test osmium purity with magnets.
Osmium is paramagnetic and responds to magnets, but only in the lab settings where you can measure the magnetic reaction.
Osmium doesn’t magnetize to the naked eye and any pure osmium jewelry or bullion you own will never magnetize under any circumstance.
Is Pure Osmium Bullion Magnetic?
No, pure osmium bullion isn’t magnetic. It’s paramagnetic as it’s weakly attracted to a magnetic field.
Pure osmium bullion is rare. Only 1-2 metric tons of osmium are produced each year and only 0.1% of osmium is used in creating pure osmium bullion for precious metal investors.
I was able to find only one website that sells osmium bars made with nearly 100% pure osmium. But as you can see below the demand for pure osmium bullion is much higher than supply.
Note: Augusta Precious Metals is the best precious metals investment company in the United States. They don’t sell osmium bullion, but they do sell IRA eligible gold and IRA-approved silver bullion.
You can also buy this bullion outside of your gold IRA or silver IRA account and store it in your safe at home.
Is Pure Osmium Jewelry Magnetic?
No, pure osmium jewelry isn’t magnetic. It’s paramagnetic as it’s weakly attracted to a magnetic field.
However, pure osmium jewelry is extremely rare for several reasons.
First, osmium is one of the rarest elements in the Earth’s crust. This makes it expensive and less accessible for jewelry production compared to more common metals like gold, silver, or platinum.
Note: only 1-2 metric tons of osmium are produced globally each year.
Second, osmium is an extremely dense metal and this makes it heavy to carry around. Wearing one osmium ring, necklace and bracelet each will almost make you feel like you’re wearing weights wherever you go.
This is obviously an exaggeration but I’m sure you get the point.
Third, osmium is a brittle metal. Brittleness makes it unsuitable for jewelry that is subject to stress and bending.
Fourth, powdered osmium forms osmium tetroxide, a highly toxic and volatile compound. This raises safety concerns during manufacturing and handling, making it less desirable for jewelry use.
However, osmium jewelry in solid form is perfectly safe.
So, pure osmium jewelry is rare, but osmium is often alloyed with gold and silver to give these metals the added strength and durability they need.
Note: professional jewelers use a crystallization process to form stable, non-toxic osmium crystals that are then set into jewelry pieces, often within platinum or gold, to create unique luxury items.
Here’s an example below.
Is Raw Osmium Magnetic?
No, raw osmium isn’t magnetic, it’s paramagnetic as it’s weakly attracted to a magnetic field.
It’s paramagnetic just like pure osmium products gotten from raw osmium.
Note: raw osmium isn’t mined directly; it’s extracted as a byproduct during the processing of platinum and nickel ores.
Once the primary metals are extracted from the ore concentrate, osmium and other platinum group metals (PGMs) are separated using complex chemical processes involving acid baths and subsequent filtering and reduction to produce metallic osmium.
Is Osmium More or Less Magnetic than Gold?
Osmium is more magnetic than gold.
This is because osmium is a paramagnetic metal with a slight magnetic attraction, whereas gold is a diamagnetic metal with slight magnetic repulsion.
Both osmium’s paramagnetism and gold’s diamagnetism are imperceptible in most situations and can only be perceived in lab settings.
Is Osmium More or Less Magnetic than Silver?
Osmium is more magnetic than silver.
This is because osmium is a paramagnetic metal with a slight magnetic attraction, whereas silver is a diamagnetic metal with slight magnetic repulsion.
Both osmium’s paramagnetism and silver’s diamagnetism are imperceptible in most situations and can only be perceived in lab settings.
Is Osmium More or Less Magnetic than Platinum?
Osmium and platinum are roughly equal in their magnetic properties as they’re both paramagnetic precious metals.
However, osmium’s paramagnetism and platinum’s paramagnetism are only noticeable in lab settings and for all practical purposes both osmium and platinum are equally unresponsive to magnets.
Is Osmium More or Less Magnetic than Palladium?
Osmium and palladium are roughly equal in their magnetic properties as they’re both paramagnetic precious metals.
However, osmium’s paramagnetism and palladium’s paramagnetism are only noticeable in lab settings and for all practical purposes both osmium and palladium are equally unresponsive to magnets.
Can Pure Osmium Stop Being Paramagnetic Under Certain Circumstances?
Yes, osmium can become diamagnetic, but only in specific chemical compounds, not as the pure element itself.
Pure osmium is weakly paramagnetic. But, when incorporated into certain complex compounds, like the diamagnetic oxide Na9Bi5Os3O24 or some osmium(VI) and osmium(IV) complexes, osmium’s electronic configuration leads to a diamagnetic ground state.
Is Osmium More or Less Magnetic than Iridium?
Osmium is less magnetic than iridium.
Both osmium and iridium are paramagnetic noble metals. Being paramagnetic means they’re slightly attracted to a magnetic field.
But iridium has stronger paramagnetic properties because it has more unpaired electrons than osmium.
Note: the paramagnetism of both osmium and iridium can only be measured in lab settings and is invisible to the naked eye.
Is Osmium More or Less Magnetic than Ruthenium?
Osmium is less magnetic than ruthenium.
Both osmium and ruthenium are paramagnetic noble metals. Being paramagnetic means they’re slightly attracted to a magnetic field.
But ruthenium has stronger paramagnetic properties because it has more unpaired electrons than osmium.
Note: the paramagnetism of both osmium and ruthenium can only be measured in lab settings and is invisible to the naked eye.
Is Osmium Magnetic? Can Osmium Be Magnetized Under Certain Circumstances or Not? Conclusion
Osmium isn’t magnetic. It’s paramagnetic.
Osmium is paramagnetic due to unpaired electrons in its d orbitals that create weak attraction to magnetic fields.
This paramagnetism is only detectable in laboratory settings and can’t be observed during normal handling of osmium bullion or jewelry. Pure osmium products don’t magnetize visibly, making magnetic testing ineffective for purity assessment.
Osmium is more magnetic than gold and silver (which are diamagnetic) but similar to platinum and palladium (also paramagnetic).
While pure osmium remains paramagnetic, it can become diamagnetic when incorporated into specific chemical compounds, though this doesn’t apply to the solid osmium you can buy and own.
References:
- Osmium jewelry: exclusivity and timeless elegance- https://metametals.com/osmium-jewelry
- Pure osmium jewelry- https://www.luciteria.com/bullion
- The structure of the osmium (IV) diamagnetic complex (NH4)4[Os2OCl10]H2O and its hydrolysis products: agnetic and spectroscopic properties- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0022190266803962
Nikola Roza
Nikola Roza is a blogger behind Nikola Roza- SEO for the Poor and Determined. He writes for bloggers who don't have huge marketing budget but still want to succeed. Nikola is passionate about precious metals IRAs and how to invest in gold and silver for a safer financial future. Learn about Nikola here.
