Document And Entity Information Entity Registrant Name Entity Central Index Key Document Type Document Period End Date Amendment Flag Current Fiscal Year End Date Is Entity a Well-known Seasoned Issuer? Is Entity a Voluntary Filer? Is Entity's Reporting Status Current? Entity Filer Category Entity Public Float Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding Document Fiscal Period Focus Document Fiscal Year Focus Statement of Financial Position [Abstract] Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents Investments in marketable equity securities, at fair value Prepaid expenses and other Total current assets Mineral properties, net Investments in marketable equity securities, at fair value Equity method investment Other assets Total assets Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable Short-term margin loan Current portion long-term debt Deferred income taxes Other Total current liabilities Long-term debt Deferred income taxes Stock option liability Commitments and contingencies Equity: Solitario shareholders’ equity: Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, authorized 10,000,000 shares (none issued and outstanding at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011) Common stock, $0.01 par value, authorized 100,000,000 shares (34,229,958 and 34,204,958, respectively, shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011) Additional paid-in capital Accumulated deficit Accumulated other comprehensive income Total Solitario shareholders’ equity Noncontrolling interest Contra-noncontrolling interest Total shareholders’ equity Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity Preferred stock Preferred stock, par value Preferred stock, shares authorized Preferred stock, shares issued Common stock Common stock, par value Common stock, shares authorized Common stock, shares issued Common stock, shares outstanding Income Statement [Abstract] Costs, expenses and other: Exploration expense Depreciation and amortization General and administrative Gain on derivative instruments Interest expense Interest and dividend income Gain on sale of assets Total costs, expenses and other Other Income Gain on sale of marketable equity securities Net loss of equity method investment Total other income Loss before income taxes Income tax benefit (expense) Net loss Less net loss attributable to non-controlling interest Net loss attributable to Solitario shareholders Loss per common share attributable to Solitario shareholders: Basic and diluted Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic and diluted Consolidated Statements Of Comprehensive Income Net loss for the period, before comprehensive loss Unrealized loss on marketable equity securities, net of deferred taxes of $529 and $1,811 Comprehensive loss Comprehensive loss attributable to Solitario shareholders Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests Comprehensive loss Consolidated Statements Of Comprehensive Income Parenthetical Unrealized loss on marketable equity securities Deferred tax of .373 on unrealized loss on marketable securities Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract] Operating activities: Net loss Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: Unrealized gain on derivative instruments Loss on equity method investment Employee stock option expense Deferred income tax expense (benefit) Amortization of discount on long-term debt (Gain) on asset and equity security sales Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Prepaid expenses and other current assets Accounts payable and other current liabilities Net cash used in operating activities Investing activities: Additions to mineral properties Additions to other assets Proceeds from sale of marketable equity securities Net cash provided by investing activities Financing activities: Short-term borrowing (net) Proceeds on exercise of options Non-controlling interest contribution Repayment of long-term debt Payment to non-controlling investor Net cash provided by financing activities Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period Cash and cash equivalents, end of period Supplemental disclosure of non-cash activities: Loan to non controlling interest Issuance of stock to noncontrolling interest Transfer of contra-noncontrolling interest to noncontrolling interest upon earn-in Disproportionate share entry from noncontrolling interest to additional paid-in-capital upon earn-in Reclassification of stock option liability to additional paid-in-capital Reclassification of stock option liability to accumulated deficit, net of deferred taxes of $543 Accumulated Deficit Deferred Taxes Reclassification of Stock Option Liability Notes to Financial Statements Business and Significant Accounting Policies Exploration Expense Short Term Debt Long Term Debt Income Taxes Stockholders' Equity and Noncontrolling Interest Mineral Properties Segment Reporting Assets, Current Available-for-sale Securities Assets [Default Label] Liabilities, Current Deferred Tax Liabilities, Net, Noncurrent Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest Liabilities and Equity Derivative Instruments, Gain Recognized in Income Interest and Dividend Income, Securities, Other Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Assets Other Cost and Expense, Operating Other Income [Default Label] Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Domestic Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent NetLossAttributableToSolitarioStockholders Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic and Diluted Marketable Securities, Unrealized Gain (Loss) ComprehensiveLossCI ComprehensiveLoss2CI Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities Repayments of Long-term Debt Payments to Acquire Additional Interest in Subsidiaries Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities LoanToNoncontrollingInterest DefTaxesForCashFlows ReclassificationOfStockOptionLiability