If you buried a piece of metal would it eventually break back down into the Earth?

Question

Say you had a ring and you buried it a few feet below the ground. Would it stay a ring, or would it just break back down into the lump of metal it was before it was mined.

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

It depends on the metal and the composition of the soil. Most precious metals like gold, platinum and silver will stay in their current form indefinitely, but metals like iron will rust.