What was mithril used for?

Mithril was a precious metal highly prized for its strength, light weight, and malleability. The Elves called this substance mithril, but the Dwarves had their own, secret name for it. It was also known as Moria-silver or true-silver (though unlike silver, over time it did not tarnish or grow dim) and desired by all races. .

What is mithril in the Lord of the Rings?

Mithril was first mentioned by Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings, where he described it as a precious metal that resembles silver, but is stronger and lighter than steel. By this point in the Third Age, when this story takes place, Mithril has become a very desirable metal thanks to these qualities as well as the fact very little of it still exists.

Is mithril a precious metal?

Mithril is a precious silvery metal that is mined by the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm. Lightweight but very strong, this substance is worth 10 times its weight in gold. The metal does not tarnish or grow dim and can be transformed into all sorts of shapes. Across the canon of Middle-earth, Mithril has been formed into many precious objects.

Why did the Dwarves want mithril?

Mithril! All folk desired it. It could be beaten like copper, and polished like glass; and the Dwarves could make of it a metal, light and yet harder than tempered steel. Its beauty was like to that of common silver, but the beauty of mithril did not tarnish or grow dim. [T 2]