Astronomers decode nuclear recipe for precious metal forged in supernovae. It's long been known that earthly metals like gold and silver were forged in supernova explosions, but the metals' exact origins have been shrouded in mystery.

How was silver created?

Within the Earth, silver is formed from sulfur compounds. ... The salt water that exists within the crust concentrates into a brine solution where silver remains dissolved. As the brine solution moves out of the seabed and into the cold seawater, silver will fall out of the solution as a mineral on the seafloor.

What metals come from space?

S-type asteroids carry little water but are more attractive because they contain numerous metals, including nickel, cobalt, and more valuable metals, such as gold, platinum, and rhodium.