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How many tons of silver and gold have been mined
Gold 200,000 total tonnes (or just under) have been mined worldwide, about 2,500 - 3,000 tonnes yearly
Silver 1½ million total tonnes have been mined worldwide
Copper 19 million tonnes mined in just the year 2015
Platinum atomic weight 78, harder than Silver and Gold (maybe 9490 total tonnes mined, US reserves 900 tonnes in 2017)
Palladium atomic weight 46, harder than Platinum
Here is a list of the hardness grades for some of the metals that you are most likely to come across in your everyday life, especially when dealing with jewelry:
Tungsten has the highest melting point of all metals at an astounding 6,191.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Tungsten is rated at about a 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness. A diamond, which is the hardest substance on earth, is rated at a 10. Tungsten carbide is about 2 or 3 times harder than titanium and cobalt chrome.
These are, from higher to lower reactivity going down the list, the 8 least reactive metals, with Silver, Gold and Platinum at the very end.
| Metal | Ion | Reactivity | Extraction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antimony Sb | Sb3+ | may react with some strong oxidizing acids | heat or physical extraction |
| Bismuth Bi | Bi3+ | ||
| Copper Cu | Cu2+ | ||
| Tungsten W | W3+ | ||
| Mercury Hg | Hg2+ | ||
| Silver Ag | Ag+ | ||
| Gold Au | Au3+ | ||
| Platinum Pt | Pt4+ |
Found in the High Priest Breastplate, set in gold in their settings with the names of the 12 tribes according to their birth. Names in Exodus 28 and Revelation 21
| Exodus No. ▲▼ | Tribe | Gemstone Description | Revelation No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Top Row | Reuben | Sardius (Redness), a red gem and probably a ruby, (from the mineral corundum-Aluminium Oxide) with a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale. | 6 |
| 2. | Simeon | Topaz, a pale yellowish gem, (from a silicate of Aluminium and Fluorine) with a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale. | 9 |
| 3. | Levi | Carbuncle, a bright, flashing stone, like an emerald according to Josephus (from the mineral Beryl-Beryllium Aluminium Cyclosilicate) with a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale. Not recorded as a separate stone in Revelation 21 | |
| 4. Second Row | Judah | Emerald, a green stone, (from the mineral Beryl-Beryllium Aluminium Cyclosilicate) with a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale. | 4 |
| 5. | Dan | Sapphire, a blue and yellow stone (from the mineral corundum-Aluminium Oxide) with a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale. | 2 |
| 6. | Naphtali | Diamond, a white stone, (from pure Carbon) with a hardness of 10 on the Mohs scale. The Hebrew word is "Yah-halom" from "Halam" - hammer or strike down as used in the story of Jael and Sisera. Not recorded in Revelation 21 | |
| 7. Third Row | Gad | Ligure, possibly a jacinth (an orange-red variety of zircon) with a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. | 11 |
| 8. | Asher | Agate, (a variety of misty-grey chalcedony, quartz-silicate) with a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. | 3 |
| 9. | Issachar | Amethyst, (a violet quartz-silicate) with a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. | 12 |
| 10. Fourth Row | Zebulun | Beryl, an aquamarine gemstone (Beryllium Aluminium Cyclosilicate) with a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale. | 8 |
| 11. | Joseph | Onyx, a quartz-silicate gemstone, often banded as black and white with a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. Sardonyx (red and white) is Stone 5 in Revelation 21. | 5 |
| 12. | Benjamin | Jasper, a quartz-silicate gemstone, usually red or brown with a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. | 1 |
Two additional Stones in Revelation 21
Chrysolite (a golden-green stone, from the mineral olivine-magnesium iron silicate) with a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. Stone 7 in Revelation 21
Chrysoprase (a gold leek-green quartz-silicate) with a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. Stone 10 in Revelation 21
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