It is no surprise either that we should consider asteroids or comets as source of minerals; according to Pravda, British and Swiss scientists say meteors (which are asteroids that have entered earth’s atmosphere) are behind some of the large precious metal deposits laying under the planet’s crust.
During the earth’s formation heavy precious metals such as silver, platinum group metals, iron ore and gold should have moved towards the planet’s core due to the force of gravity, geochemists believe.
However, there are still enormous amounts of metals resting just below the surface – so how did these get here if common sense says they don't belong?
Potentially, meteorites.
These meteorites containing precious metals have rained down on earth, and increased the abundance of the planet’s minerals.
In this infographic we look at where gold comes from, where it still lies, and what we use it for.