Virtually all materials that are man made, such as most metals and refined gems, are created from ore taken from the earth itself. To be able to start this process, first the material must be located. Once a location has been identified as containing valuable resources, the correct process for taking the material from the land must begin. The land and the type of substances to be taken dictate the best techniques to use. Once the correct processes are chosen they must be executed. Mining is hard and involved work, even sometimes it can be dangerous. Attempting to mine any substances from the earth without formal knowledge usually ends in failure.