Into the Wardrobe

This isn't really a serious question, but I want to pose it anyway.

If Mithril is 'true silver' as Tolkien says, how can we explain that in chemical terms? What I mean is if Middle-Earth had a periodic table would mithril be considered an element in its own right, or just a possible isotope of silver? Maybe if they are considered two seperate elements, Middle-Earth chemists could call 'true silver' mithrilium.

And when I make posts like this folks, it tells me that it is way past my bedtime.

Actually, the properties of mithril has possibly been highly exagerated, as a scholarly website informed me*. True silver appears to be a very metal indeed.

That is a great link, BigSleepJ! A heresy worthy even of Erekose.

I have nothing to add about mithril, except that I like the sound of the name.
It sort of rolls off the tongue. Miiiithriiiillll