Where do elves get metal?

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Marwhini

•*The amount of food eaten by each ant, and where it comes from.
•*The effect of the immediate environment by the ant's presence.
• The effect of the environment upon predators, or the effect of the presence of predators upon the ants.
•*Etc.

Yes, I agree. Elves certainly had some of their own supply of metal, albeit not as large as that of the Dwarves, and they most likely traded for the rest with their neighbours (especially with Moria). Their mines were not as large as those of the Dwarves, and their production was not as high. It's also possible they simply did not reveal the locations of their mines to those who didn't explicitly need to know.