Editing Mithril (section)

=== Properties ===

In ''[[The Hobbit]]'', [[Thorin Oakenshield]] described some Dwarven treasures as "coats of mail gilded and silvered and impenetrable" and "a coat of dwarf-linked rings the like of which had never been made before, for it was wrought of pure silver to the power and strength of triple steel."<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937|loc=ch. 12 "Inside Information"}}</ref> A little later the narrator describes "a small coat of mail, wrought for some young elf-prince long ago. It was of silver-steel which the elves call mithril".<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937|loc=ch. 13 "Not At Home" (mention of mithril from 1966 edition onwards)}}</ref><ref name="Rateliff 2008"/>

In ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', the wizard [[Gandalf]] explained mithril to the rest of the Fellowship in [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Moria]]:

{{blockquote|''Mithril!'' All folk desired it. It could be beaten like [[copper]], and polished like [[glass]]; and the [[Dwarf (Middle-earth)|Dwarves]] could make of it a metal, light and yet harder than [[Tempering (metallurgy)|tempered steel]]. Its beauty was like to that of common [[silver]], but the beauty of ''mithril'' did not tarnish or grow dim.<ref name="moria" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 4 "A Journey in the Dark"}}</ref>}}

The [[Noldor]] of [[Eregion]], the Elvish land to the west of Moria, made an alloy from it called ''ithildin'' ("star moon"), used to decorate gateways, portals and pathways. It was visible only by starlight or moonlight. The [[Moria (Middle-earth)#West-door|West Gate]] of Moria bore inlaid ''ithildin'' designs and runes.<ref name="moria" group=T/>