Suspended at the center of this acrylic cube is a sample of very pure iron. As far as metals go iron is king. No other comes anywhere near close to it in terms of raw tonnage to be turned into everything from nails to aircraft carriers. Iron is number one in industry usage not because of its properties but simply due to its being so overwhelmingly common. Iron is not found in nature in its elemental state because it oxidizes when exposed to moisture. Look at any pile of red dirt and you’re seeing powdered rust. Before that dirt can be made into useful metal it has to break that strong bond that exists between the two elements and, afterwards, injected with a slew of other elements to prevent it from rusting again. And that’s how steel is born.

Curiously, since pure iron is pretty much useless for industry it is rare to find instances where it can be found unalloyed with those other elements. Even the cheapest grades of cast iron will be propped up with additives like carbon and manganese to make it a little hardier. That makes this presentation cube a little more special despite the fact that, ultimately, it contains a piece of this planet’s most abundant metal!