World of Warcraft : Making Money the Mining Way

Even when WoW was in its early days Gold Ore and bars were never worth much. Somehow an entire bar of gold was made to be worth less than a single gold coin. The Silver Ore was actually worth more because it was used in crafting recipes. Those were the old days though. Now players only need to worry about Saronite and Titanium, the two end game ores of WotLK... so far. Any possible future ore will most likely only drop inside raid instances.

Saronite, the strange ore that supposedly drives those who mine it crazy... If you believe some of the story lines in Howling Fjord, Borean Tundra, and Zul'Drak. A green clunky looking substance, it is found in player usable form only near the end of Zul'Drak. Previous forms of Saronite in the game are all related to quests. Supposedly the entire Wrath Gate, that giant metal wall blocking off the path between Northern Dragonblight and Icecrown, is crafted out of the stuff. Maybe it turns black once its forged, or maybe he painted it.