Ashtadhatu

Ashtadhatu, Sanskrit for "eight metals", is an alloy of gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, tin, iron and mercury, also called octo-alloy. It is often used to cast metal idols for Jain and Hindu temples in India. Its composition is laid down in the Shilpa Shastras, the ancient texts on arts, crafts and their design rules, and traditionally the eight metals are in equal proportion, 12.5 per cent each. It is used because Hinduism considers it sattvik, virtuous or pure, and because it does not decay. The page says it is restricted to images of the deities Kubera, Vishnu, Krishna, Rama and Kartikeya and the goddesses Durga and Lakshmi, though these statements are marked as needing a citation on the page.