Iron ore usually comtains sulphur, phosphorous silicon and carbon. It becomes cast iron or pig iron when all but 3 or 4% of the carbon, has been smelted out and the resulting metal is poured into ingots. This is then still malleable iron the material most often associated with cast and machined parts, the blacksmith and so forth. To make steel requires further refining. (see steel).

'Working with iron there is a love of noise and smell of fire. Forging, you are discoverng the potential of the metal and what it has to say'.
Iron ring hand forged with gold detail by Gloria Carlos