This beautiful metal is practically unknown except for those who want to memorize the hundred-plus roster making up the periodic table. Of a light golden, almost brassy color, ytterbium is almost impossible to shape via machining into anything useful (assuming someone wanted to for some reason) because, like wood, it has a grainy texture which tends to “catch” onto tools and break away leaving a pitted surface. It is, for this reason, that it is nearly impossible to polish. Only with the greatest care, using fastidiously small increments in grit size and taking it reeeeeal slow can the luster be coaxed. Because of this it takes many days to make a single one of these cubes and, to be honest, the surface can only achieve a satin rather than true mirror finish. While technically possible, it would probably costs hundreds of dollars using the current tech to make a single gem-like cubed centimeter of ytterbium would surely cost hundreds of dollars. As it is, the satin finish is absolutely gorgeous and really brings out the character of this rare earth!
