Top five metals/alloys?
In no specific order:
Ductile iron, because it has so much versatility in mechanical properties and the casting process is so cool (particularly grade 60-40-18 because the properties are so straightforward to achieve)
304 stainless, the workhorse of stainless steels
Bismuth, for the colors and crystals
Chromium, for the colors and for making stainless steel possible
Copper, for its gorgeous colors in solution (especially the deep deep blue of the copper-ammonia complex)














