Apart from their “silvery” color and similar density, bismuth and silver share one other trait: they’re both about equal in terms of rarity. That bismuth is considerably cheaper is all due to lower demand. It is, essentially, a fake metal. Despite its luster and heft, bend it - even just a little - and bismuth breaks rather than gives. And it is delicate as glass. This alone rules it out for most practical uses.

Still, it has a lot going for it. It forms stunning, surrealistic multihued crystals that are sold as ornaments and even though it’s considered a ‘heavy metal’ it is completely nontoxic. On exposure to humid air, and especially high heat, the metal becomes attractively tarnished in all the colors of the rainbow. Those beautiful colors are, unfortunately, hard to control as the punchiest tones are achieved close to the melting point of the element.