金
JLPT 5Joyo 1

kane, kana, KIN, KON
From top: cover, lid , earth/soil 土, two gold nuggets 丷
Covered in the ground is the gold.

	銀
JLPT 4Joyo 3

shirogane, GIN
Left: metal/gold 金 (Covered in the ground 土 are 2 gold nuggets 丷), right: "not good" 艮 ('good' would be 良, but the accent 丶 is missing, thus 'not good')
(Gold would be better!) This metal is 'not good', it is only silver.

	鉄
JLPT 3Joyo 3

kurogane, TETSU
Left: metal 金 (Covered in the ground 土 are 2 gold nuggets 丷), right: to lose 失 (I emphasize (=accent ノ) it is the husband 夫 who loses) [husband 夫 = big 大 person with extra-caring arms 一]
The metal, you can safely lose (due to its little value) is iron.

	鏡
JLPT 3Joyo 4

kagami, KYŌ
Left: metal 金 (Covered in the ground 土 are 2 gold nuggets 丷), right: to stand 立, below a variation of seeing: 見 (One line is missing: therefore only "practically" seeing)
The metal in front of which you stand and practically see yourself, is a mirror.

	録
JLPT 3Joyo 4

ROKU
Left: metal 金, right: exude/squeeze 录 (pressing hand ヨ makes liquid 水 drop out, but here: embossing)
Metal can be pressed (or embossed), and thus is used for recordings.

	鉱
JLPT 2Joyo 5

KŌ
Left: metal 金 (Covered in the ground 土 are 2 gold nuggets 丷), right: wide 広 ([As a real estate agent] I find a building 广 with my (good) nose ム, that is wide and spacious)
Metal is common (= widely spread) in form of ore.

	銭
JLPT 1Joyo 5

zeni, SEN
Left: metal 金 (Covered in the ground 土 are 2 gold nuggets 丷), right: two 二 & halberd 戈
The metal for two halberds is enough for one Sen coin.

	銅
JLPT 2Joyo 5

akagane, DŌ
Left: metal 金, right: same 同 [All containers 冂 have only one 一 opening 口 and that is the same.]. ("akagane" means: red metal)
(Metals differ, but no other is red.) The [red] metal that is always the same is: copper.

	鋼
JLPT 1Joyo 6

hagane, KŌ
Left: metal 金, right: hill 岡 (Here as a bloomery hearth for steel smelting, in which iron ore and charcoal were stacked alternately as a hill.) Or: Steel is [compared to cast iron] elastic like a rope: 綱
Metal from this hill (=oven) is steel.

	針
JLPT 2Joyo 6

hari, SHIN
Left: metal, gold 金 (Covered in the ground 土 are 2 gold nuggets 丷), right: ten 十
It is made of metal and pointed like the number ten (= 十): A needle!

	鋭
JLPT 2Joyo 7

surudoi, EI
Left: metal 金, right: coming out 丷 (here: piercings), elder brother 兄 (= A big mouth 口 on legs 儿)
The metal piercings in the 'big mouth' of my elder brother are sharp and acute.

	鉛
JLPT 1Joyo 7

namari, EN
Left: metal 金, right: variation of valley 谷 (Shows a valley that opens into a plain 口.)
(Because of the weight it is found in deeper places:) The metal in the valley is lead.

	鑑
JLPT 1Joyo 7

kangamiru, KAN
Left: metal/gold 金, right: watch, supervise 監 (The retainer 臣 and a lying person are mirrored 一 in the plate 皿 they supervise / observe.)
Due to its value its inventory is constantly monitored:) The way the gold is supervised is exemplary.

	鎖
JLPT 1Joyo 7

kusari, SA
Left: metal, gold 金 (Covered in the ground 土 are 2 gold nuggets 丷), right: small 小 money 貝 (=small change)
(If you punch a hole into the coins:) The metal of small change can be used as a chain.

	錯
JLPT 1Joyo 7

SAKU
Left: metal 金, right: old days, past 昔 (together 共 in the sun 日 thinking of old days.)
(Metals in nature are alloys that could not be metallurgically processed in the past.) The metals in earlier times were mixed.

	銃
JLPT 1Joyo 7

JŪ
Left: metal 金, right: fill, charge 充 (The new born baby [child 子 turned upside down, because at birth with head first] flounders with its legs 儿 to be 'filled' [= fed])
Metal fills/charges the gun.

	鐘
JLPT 1Joyo 7

kane, SHŌ
Left: metal 金 (Covered in the ground 土 are 2 gold nuggets 丷), right: child 童 (It stands 立 in the village 里)
A metal for children is a bell.

	錠
JLPT 1Joyo 7

JŌ
Left: metal 金, right: decide, rule, fix 定 (Under this roof 宀 it is decided according to correct 正 rules.)
(If you can enter or not:) The metal that decides is the lock.

	錘
JLPT 1Joyo 8

tsumu, omori, SUI
Left: metal 金, right: to hang down, drop 垂 (A vehicle 車 with a loose wheel almost dropping off)
Metal that is hanging down is a plummet.

	銑
JLPT 1Joyo 8

zuku, SEN
Left: metal 金, right: precede/previous 先 (A cow 牛 with two legs 儿 precedes)
This metal was previously pig iron.

	鍛
JLPT 1Joyo 7

kitaeru, TAN
Left: metal 金, right: steps 段 (In the cliff 厂 a weapon 几 in a hand 又 made stairs )
The metal for the stairs was forged.

	鋳
JLPT 1Joyo 7

iru, CHŪ
Left: metal 金, right: long life 寿 (With both hands 手 & 寸 to congratulate and wish: a long life) [..or: to roll sushi 寿司]
Metal has a long life-cycle, and thus is used for casting.

	釣
JLPT 1Joyo 7

tsuru/ri, CHŌ
Left: metal 金, right: ladle 勺 (image of a ladle with sth. in it; old measure of capacity: SHAKU; ca. 18 ml)
A metal hook 勹 (with a bait 丶) is for fishing.

	鎮
JLPT 1Joyo 7

shizumaru/meru, CHIN
Left: gold/metal 金, right: truth 真 (The ten 十 tools 具 are really true.) [Tool 具 = eye 目, table ]
Gold is truly tranquilizing.

	鈍
JLPT 2Joyo 7

nibui/ru, DON
Left: gold/metal 金, right: barracks/camp 屯 (On fertile soil, where growing shoots 屮 pierced the ground 一 they built a barracks.)
If you take gold into the barracks, you are stupid and dull.

	鉢
JLPT 1Joyo 7

HACHI, HATSU
Left: metal 金, right: root, origin, book 本
Metal is the origin for bowls and pots.

	銘
JLPT 1Joyo 7

MEI
Left: gold/metal 金, right: name 名 (In the evening 夕 you talk 口 about people with name and fame)
Into the metal the name is engraved as: an inscription!

	鈴
JLPT 1Joyo 7

suzu, REI, RIN
Left: metal 金, right: order/command 令 (here: body of the bell with the bell's bolt 卩)
Metal that is chiming "on command" is a bell.

	錬
JLPT 1Joyo 7

neru, REN
Left: metal 金, right: east 東
Metal is trained (= 練) in the east when refined or kneading (i.e. forging.)

	釜
JLPT -Joyo 7

kama,
Top: father 父 (With a stick ノ in the hand [for punishing]: The father!), bottom: gold/metal 金
Daddy uses metal to make a kettle.

	鎌
JLPT -Joyo 7

kama,
Left: metal/gold 金, right: combine, concurrently 兼 (A hand ナ/ヨ holds two rice plants 禾 concurrently.)
(For havesting) You need this metal when grasping two rice plants in your hand: A sickle.

	錦
JLPT -Joyo 7

nishiki, KIN
Left: gold/metal 金, right: 帛 (= white 白 cloth 巾)
A gold embroidered white cloth is brocade.

	鍵
JLPT -Joyo 7

kagi, KEN
Left: gold, metal 金, right: build, construct 建 (The brush 聿 needs to move 廴 at the construction) [The brush 聿 is a part of: 'to write' 書]
Use metal for your building: That's the key to the problem.

	錮
JLPT -Joyo 7

KO
Left: gold/metal 金, right: hard/firm/strong 固 (Some things 囗 [= meat, some vegetable] with age 古 [= tomb stone] become hard 固)
Metal is hard/strong and thus used for a prison.

	鍋
JLPT -Joyo 7

nabe,
Left: gold/metal 金, right: backbone, vertebrae (cf 骨 =bone, skeleton)
Metal is the backbone of: pots and pans.