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The most striking thing you notice about this metal is how absurdly light it feels in hand. While lithium is lighter it is, frankly, useless as a metal proper because it's so reactive and soft. Beryllium is neither of those two things. What it is is hideously expensive and supremely difficult to work with. Only a few companies in the world have the expertise (or the clientele) to deal with Be.
Much also has been said about its toxicity. A lungful of beryllium dust is bad, bad news. Pulmonary edema, or close to it, is the lifelong diagnosis of berylliosis. But then again, you really don't want a lungful of any metal dust. If you can avoid the questionable temptation to take a file to your precious little piece of beryllium then you have nothing to worry about. There once was a guy who bought himself a bike whose frame was made out of beryllium. It weighed all of two pounds and it entered bicycle lore henceforth. The cost? A cool $25,000.
That works out to $27 a gram if you ignore the labor cost involved in making that bike. You'll find our price for beryllium much more palatable!
Listing is for one gram in labeled bottle.
Luciteria Science is a scientific collectibles company operating in Olympia, Washington. For our full product line please visit our website.
