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AABN:  49888
Title: a Miner's Guide to Prospecting

Silver, gold, platinum, mithril, and arjale are considered precious metals
and are only known from small, scattered deposits. Miners should not expect
to find any of these except at very specific locations. Silver alone is the
only one that may be fairly common, as it is sometimes produced during the
smelting of the lead ore galena and as a low-quality ore known as horn
silver. Very rarely, silver, gold or platinum can be found in their native
state.

Copper

While native copper is quite rare, cuprous ores are some of the most
abundant you will find.  They are easiest to obtain in arid environments,
where weathering  leaves deposits of secondary copper minerals very near
the surface. Underground tunnels can also yield large amounts of copper
minerals.

Malachite is a striking green mineral, that while a low-yield ore, is
relatively abundant near deposits of richer ores. The somewhat rarer
azurite is blue in color. The best examples hail from the Grumditch and
Kentwig copper mine on the island of Kordan, where the primary ore deposits
have been exhausted. Bornite, sometimes called "peacock ore" due to its
brilliant blue and purple iridescence, and chalcopyrite are fairly common
in the same localities as malachite. When large quantities of either of
these two ores are smelted, iron can sometimes be extracted from the dross.
Tetrahedrite is another common copper ore which can yield small amounts of
many other metals, including zinc, iron, bismuth and even silver. 

Somewhat rarer is chalcocite, which is often found near watery environments
downstream from major copper ore lodes. A rich reddish crystalline mineral
known as cuprite has an exceptionally high yield of copper, but it is quite
rare. Rarer still is tenorite, which also has a higher than average yield.
It is found only in volcanic environments, near open lava.

Lead

Lead is moderately common. It is less in demand than iron and copper, but
still has a variety of uses. Galena is the most common lead ore, being
found in underground passages and in the mountains. Galena sometimes
contains small amounts of silver, and if a large amount of galena is
smelted, silver can sometimes be separated from the dross.

Less common lead ores are cerussite and anglesite, both of which can
present as large, gemmy crystals. The rarest ore of lead is cotunnite,
which is found near areas of volcanic activity. The tin ore, teallite,
sometimes yields small amounts of lead.

Iron

Iron is one of the most abundant metals in the world, but it is spread
quite diffusely over the landscape. Iron can be derived from many kinds of
stone, but generally at extremely inefficient yields. Fortunately, low
quality ores with profitable yields are abundant, and higher quality ores
are not as difficult to find as precious metals.

Goethite is one of the most common iron ores. It is found primarily in
environments that are or were once very wet. Along with limonite, it is
considered a "bog ore", as it has even been dredged up from the depths of
swamps. Likewise, siderite tends to be located in damper environments,
though it may found in crusts and sheets in areas of volcanic activity.

Hematite is a medium-quality ore that is mostly found in and beneath
mountainous terrain. Hematite deposits leave rusty stains on the cliffs
around the Iron Sea, and they can be found throughout the Ash Mountains.
Far less common than hematite is the exceptionally rich magnetite. This ore
is largely confined to in or around the Mines of Minos near West Naginag.

The copper ores bornite, tetrahedrite and chalcopyrite can yield small
quanitites of iron.

Zinc

Zinc is too soft to be useful on its own, but it can be alloyed with copper
to make brass. Zinc ores include zinc spar, calamine and sphalerite. These
minerals are most common in hill country, mountains and deep underground,
though zinc spar is sometimes found in arid environments. Zincite is found
on the island of Sloe. Large quanities of calamine ore will sometimes yield
cadmium, while sphalerite ore can sometimes be processed for cadmium,
manganese and even iron in addition to zinc.

Tin

Rarer than zinc, tin is also soft. It is alloyed with copper to make
bronze, with lead to make pewter and with bismuth to make "yellow lead"
sling bullets. The primary ore of tin is cassiterite, which is usually
found underground, but can also be present in both deserts and swamps. A
rarer, lesser known tin ore is teallite, which also contains enough lead
that when large quantities are processed, lead can sometimes be produced in
addition to tin.

Cadmium

The only primary ore of cadmium is the exceptionally rare gemmy mineral
called greenockite. It can only be found underground or in rocky terrain.
Cadmium is sometimes found in some zinc ores.

Selenium

This reactive metal has spell resistant properties beyond that of most
metals. Its primary ore, selenide, is found in tunnels, mountains and
sometimes in swamps or jungles.

Bismuth

This uncommon metal is often used to strengthen copper alloys and can be
alloyed with tin as well. Its most common ore, bismuthinite, is found in
tunnels and mountains, especially near lava. A rarer secondary ore,
bismite, occurs in weathered outcroppings and streambeds.

Manganese

This dense metal is used for strengthening both bronze and steel.
Pyrolusite, its primary ore, is found underground, in mountains, swamps and
tropical forests. It can also be had from psilomelane and manganite, but
these are far rarer. Small amounts of manganese can sometimes be refined
from the zinc ore sphalerite.

Nickel

This metal is similar to iron. Its primary ores, millerite and ganierite,
are often found in places where iron can be found. Though not as tough as
iron, it is valued for its luster and resistance to corrosion. It is most
often alloyed with copper. Adding manganese makes a bronze-like metal
called white copper, while zinc creates a pale brass known as nickel
silver.