What is an ore, exactly?

An ore is a natural rock or sediment containing valuable minerals, usually metals, concentrated enough to be economically mined and processed for profit, providing sources for everything from iron and copper to gold, though it also includes nonmetallic minerals. The key is the concentration: the material must have enough of the desired element (like iron, aluminum, or gold) to justify the cost of extraction, a measure known as its "grade". Ores are not pure metals but compounds (like oxides or sulfides) mixed with other rock, requiring processes like smelting to separate and refine the valuable substance.
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What is ore in simple words?

An ore is a natural rock or sediment containing valuable minerals, usually metals like gold, copper, or iron, in high enough concentrations to be mined and processed for profit. It's a naturally occurring source material from which we extract useful elements, making it economically viable to extract that resource.
 
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What is considered an ore?

Ore is a deposit in Earth's crust of one or more valuable minerals. The most valuable ore deposits contain metals crucial to industry and trade, like copper, gold, and iron.
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What determines if a mineral is an ore?

Ore- A mineral occurring in sufficient quantity and containing enough metal to permit its recovery and extraction at a profit. Or, a mineral or an aggregate of minerals from which a valuable constituent, especially a metal, can be profitably mined or extracted is an ore.
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What are the 4 types of ore?

Ores are the minerals from which metal is conveniently and profitably extracted. There are mainly four kinds of ores like Ores Oxides; Ores Carbonate; Sulphide Ores; Ores Halides.
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What Exactly Is Gold Ore? - Earth Science Answers

What is the rarest ore?

The rarest mineral (which often contains valuable elements/ores) is considered Kyawthuite, with only one known crystal found in Myanmar, but for ores mined in quantity, Painite and Tanzanite are extremely rare, while elements like Rhenium and Rhodium are rare byproducts, but Cryolite deposits are essentially mined out, making them effectively the rarest in the US. 
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Is gold considered a mineral or an ore?

A mineral is a naturally occurring solid that is homogenous in nature and has a specific chemical composition. Because gold is often found in nature in a pure (native) form, it can be considered a mineral as well as an element.
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What is the most valuable ore?

The most valuable ore often contains Rhodium, a rare platinum-group metal prized for its use in catalytic converters (automotive industry) and electronics, making it extremely expensive per ounce, sometimes exceeding gold; other contenders for value include ores of Iridium, Osmium, and high-grade Uranium, depending on current market demand and concentration. 
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Is diamond an ore or a mineral?

Diamond, composed of pure carbon, is the hardest naturally occurring mineral found on Earth. Diamonds form under extreme pressure and high temperature deep within the earth's mantle.
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How to tell if a rock is iron ore?

Iron ores have variable appearances. Hematite, for instance, can range from coarse to metallic. Its colour also fluctuates from red and brown tones to black, dark grey, or silver tones. However, when scraped across a scrape plate, all hematite specimens will produce a reddish streak.
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Is ore a stone or gem?

An Ore is a Rock with Important Minerals

Metals are usually extracted from an ore through a process of heating and reduction also known as smelting. Not all metals can be extracted in this way. Another process used to separate the element from the rock is electrolysis.
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What are the three common ores?

Ores are deposits of one or more precious metals that are found in the earth's crust. The important ore deposits are iron, silver, and copper. These metals are very essential for trade and are utilised by various industries.
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Does steel have an ore?

Steel is made from iron ore, a compound of iron, oxygen and other minerals that occurs in nature. The raw materials for steelmaking are mined and then transformed into steel using two different processes: the blast furnace/basic oxygen furnace route, and the electric arc furnace route.
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What is a synonym for ore?

Synonyms: mineral, unrefined earth, native mineral.
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How many ores are there in the world?

There are hundreds of different minerals on Earth, but only about 100 are ore minerals.
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Can minerals be man-made?

Artificial or synthetic minerals are grown in a laboratory. They are almost indistinguishable from the natural stones and are cheaper and easier to source.
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Are Costco diamonds lab grown or natural?

Costco primarily sells natural, untreated diamonds, adhering to strict GIA-based standards for quality (VS2 clarity, I color or better) and offering detailed reports, but they do also offer some items featuring lab-created diamonds, particularly in specific jewelry pieces like certain rings, so always check the product description for "natural" or "lab-created". 
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What is the #1 rarest gem?

1. Painite – The World's Rarest Gemstone. 2. Grandidierite – A Blue-Green Wonder.
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What does God say about diamonds?

God doesn't speak directly about the monetary value of diamonds, but uses them symbolically in the Bible to represent strength, purity, endurance, divine glory, and eternal promises, with verses describing them in the New Jerusalem and as symbols of deep-set sin or spiritual transformation, contrasting their hardness with God's ability to refine people like diamonds under pressure. 
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What is 1000 times rarer than a diamond?

Tanzanite is about 1,000 times rarer than diamonds. The area where it's found is only about 4 kilometers wide and 2 kilometers long.
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What is the rarest mineral on Earth?

Synopsis: Kyawthuite is the rarest mineral on Earth—so rare that only one specimen has ever been found. This tiny, orangish-brown gemstone holds a mystery millions of years in the making, offering a glimpse into the hidden treasures of our planet.
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Who found 3 trillion in gold?

El Salvador Eyes $3 Trillion Gold Mine Beneath Its Soil. Seven years ago, El Salvador made global headlines as the first country in the world to ban all metal mining. The decision was hailed as a victory for environmental protection, celebrated by local communities, environmentalists and even the Catholic Church.
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What is the king of all metals?

Detailed Solution

Gold is known as the king of metals.
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What rock is gold found in?

Gold is most commonly found in quartz veins within igneous and metamorphic rocks like schist, often deposited by hot, mineral-rich water from volcanic activity, but it can also occur in other rocks like basalt or be released into river gravels as alluvial deposits.
 
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Can gold be cut with a knife?

Yes, pure gold is incredibly soft (MOHs hardness 2.5, like a fingernail) and can be cut, dented, or even bitten, but thicker pieces, especially alloys (like jewelry), require more force or specialized tools like saws or lasers, with thin gold leaf being easily cut by a special gilding knife. 
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