Adamantine

Adamantine was a dull alloy made of adamant, iron, and other metals. The terms "adamantine", "adamant ore", "adamantite", or simply "adamant" were often used interchangeably to refer to either the metallic ore adamant, or the refined alloy into which it was forged.

Raw adamant was found only veins deep underground or in meteorite deposits.

Applications

When smelted, adamantine was incredibly hard and durable. It was considered the hardest substance in existence, eclipsing even mithril or diamond. This process was very costly, but resulted in weapons and armor that were nearly unbreakable. Besides its rarity and incredible processing cost, refined adamant was heavier than most other metals, limiting its use somewhat in battlefield applications. It was generally deemed too heavy for ship-bound armor, though the dwarven smiths of Antipode toyed with adamant-lined triremes for a few decades in the Light Age.

As a construction material for superstructures and buildings, adamantine was unparalleled in its durability. Dwarves and drow often used cut stone latticed with adamantine to ensure their structures, mines, and scaffolds stood the test of time.

Adamantine was famously used in the construction of the Overshield of Galvanheim-- a massive dome designed to protect against dragon attacks-- in the early Middle Era.