What metal is the dwarf-mined substance mithril in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth?

Mithril is a fictional metal in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. It is a light, strong, and highly valuable substance first associated with the mines of Khazad-dûm, later called Moria.

The name comes from Sindarin and is commonly explained through elements meaning “grey” and “glitter.” Tolkien describes mithril as silver-like in appearance but stronger and more useful than ordinary metals. Its rarity makes it extraordinarily valuable.

Bilbo’s coat of mithril mail protects him during the events of The Hobbit, and he later gives it to Frodo. Frodo wears the coat beneath his clothes during the journey of the Fellowship, and it helps save his life when he is stabbed in Moria.

Mithril is sometimes treated in popular culture as simply “magic silver,” but Tolkien’s descriptions present it as a remarkable fictional metal with distinctive physical properties. The great mithril wealth of Moria also contributes to the dwarves’ downfall because it awakens the Balrog.