Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
1. Business and Significant Accounting Policies	1. Business and Significant Accounting Policies Business and company formation Solitario Exploration & Royalty Corp. (“Solitario” or the “Company”) is a development stage company at March 31, 2015 under Industry Guide 7, as issued by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), with a current focus on the Mt. Hamilton gold project located in Nevada. Solitario was incorporated in the state of Colorado on November 15, 1984 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Crown Resources Corporation ("Crown"). In July 1994, Solitario became a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") through its Initial Public Offering. Solitario has been actively involved in mineral exploration since 1993. In December 2010 Solitario signed the Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement of Mt. Hamilton LLC (the “MH Agreement”) with DHI Minerals (U.S.) Ltd., (“DHI”) and formed Mt. Hamilton LLC (“MH-LLC”), the owner of the Mt. Hamilton project. DHI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ely Gold and Minerals, Inc. (“Ely”). Solitario may either develop the Mt. Hamilton project or otherwise enter into an arrangement to monetize its interest in the project through a sale of all or a part of that interest or other joint venture type of arrangement. However, Solitario has never developed a mineral property and the development of the Mt. Hamilton project would require a significant amount of outside capital. In addition Solitario focuses on the acquisition of precious and base metal properties with exploration potential and the development or purchase of royalty interests. Solitario acquires and holds a portfolio of exploration properties for future sale or joint venture or to create a royalty prior to the establishment of proven and probable reserves. Solitario has recorded revenue in the past from the sale of mineral property and joint venture property payments and the sale of a royalty on its Mt. Hamilton property. Revenues from the sale or joint venture of properties have not been a significant source of revenue and would occur, if at all, on an infrequent basis in the future. The accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements of Solitario for the three March 31, 2015 and 2014 are unaudited and are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. They do not include all disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles for annual financial statements, but in the opinion of management, include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring items, necessary for a fair presentation. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results, which may be achieved in the future or for the full year ending December 31, 2015. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto which are included in Solitario’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. The accounting policies set forth in those annual financial statements are the same as the accounting policies utilized in the preparation of these financial statements, except as modified for appropriate interim financial statement presentation. Basis of Presentation The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming Solitario will continue as a going concern. As of March 31, 2015 Solitario has a working capital deficit of $3,200,000. As explained in more detail in Note 4, “Short-term Debt,” Solitario entered into a facility agreement (the “Facility Agreement”) with RMB Australia Holdings Limited (“RMBAH”) and RMB Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“RMBR”) whereby Solitario has borrowed $5,000,000 from RMBAH (with any amounts outstanding collectively being the “RMB Loan”). The RMB Loan is due on August 20, 2015. Solitario currently does not have sufficient liquidity to repay the RMB Loan when due raising substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management is currently in discussions to refinance the RMB Loan or raise additional funds from the sale of common shares, additional borrowing or the sale of assets to facilitate the repayment of the RMB Loan. There is no assurance that Solitario will be able to refinance the RMB Loan or raise sufficient funds on acceptable terms. The accompanying financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Under the terms of the RMB Loan, Solitario will be in default if it is unable to repay the RMB Loan when it is due on August 20, 2015. Should Solitario be in default, RMBAH has, among other rights, the right to foreclose on its security interest in certain assets of Solitario to satisfy its obligation. Financial reporting The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Solitario and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, controlled non-wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("generally accepted accounting principles"), and are expressed in US dollars. Revenue recognition Solitario records delay rental payments as revenue in the period received. Any payments received for the sale of property interests are recorded as a reduction of the related property's capitalized cost. Proceeds which exceed the capitalized cost of the property without reserves are recognized as revenue. Payments received on the sale of properties with reserves are recognized as revenue to the extent the proceeds exceed the proportionate basis in the assets sold. Gain on the sale of a mineral property revenue stream is deferred to the extent there is a guarantee for the future revenue stream until such time as the potential funding obligation for the guarantee is reduced or released. Use of estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Some of the more significant estimates included in the preparation of Solitario's financial statements pertain to: (i) the recoverability of mineral properties, with significant emphasis on Mt. Hamilton and the recoverability of its investment as well as the recoverability of mineral exploration properties and their future exploration potential; (ii) the fair value of Solitario's stock option grants to employees; (iii) the ability of Solitario to realize its deferred tax assets; (iv) the current portion of Solitario's investment in marketable equity securities; (v) the fair value of Solitario’s liability for warrants Solitario issued to RMBAH upon entering into the Facility Agreement In performing its activities, Solitario has incurred certain costs for mineral properties. The recovery of these costs is ultimately dependent upon the sale of mineral property interests or the development of economically recoverable ore reserves and the ability of Solitario to obtain the necessary permits and financing to successfully place the properties into production, and upon future profitable operations, none of which is assured. Cash equivalents Cash equivalents include investments in highly liquid money-market securities with original maturities of three months or less when purchased. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 Solitario had concentrations of cash and cash equivalents in excess of federally insured amounts and cash in foreign banks, which are not covered under the federal deposit insurance rules for the United States. Mineral properties Solitario expenses all exploration costs incurred on its mineral properties prior to the establishment of proven and probable reserves through the completion of a feasibility study. Initial acquisition costs of its mineral properties are capitalized. Solitario began capitalizing all of its development expenditures on its Mt. Hamilton project, subsequent to the completion of a feasibility study in 2012. Solitario regularly performs evaluations of its investment in mineral properties to assess the recoverability and/or the residual value of its investments in these assets. All long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or circumstances change which indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable, utilizing established guidelines based upon undiscounted future net cash flows from the asset or upon the determination that certain exploration properties do not have sufficient potential for economic mineralization. Derivative instruments Solitario accounts for its derivative instruments in accordance with ASC 815 "Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities" (“ASC 815”). Solitario has not designated its covered calls as hedging instruments and any changes in the fair value of the covered calls and the RMB Warrants are recognized in the statement of operations in the period of the change. Fair value FASB ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC 820”) establishes a framework for measuring fair value and requires enhanced disclosures about fair value measurements. ASC 820 clarifies that fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. For certain of Solitario's financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, short-term margin loans and accounts payable, the carrying amounts approximate fair value due to their short-term maturities. Solitario's marketable equity securities and the Kinross Gold Corporation (“Kinross”) calls are carried at their estimated fair value based on quoted market prices. See Note 7, “Fair Value” below. Marketable equity securities Solitario's investments in marketable equity securities are classified as available-for-sale and are carried at fair value, which is based upon quoted prices of the securities owned. Solitario records investments in marketable equity securities as available-for-sale for investments in publicly traded marketable equity securities for which it does not exercise significant control and where Solitario has no representation on the Board of those companies and exercises no control over the management of those companies. The cost of marketable equity securities sold is determined by the specific identification method. Changes fair values are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income within shareholders' equity, unless a decline in fair value is considered other than temporary, in which case the decline is recognized as a loss in the consolidated statements of operations. Foreign exchange The United States dollar is the functional currency for all of Solitario's foreign subsidiaries. Although Solitario's South American exploration activities have been conducted primarily in Brazil, Peru and Mexico, a portion of the payments under the land, leasehold and exploration agreements of Solitario are denominated in United States dollars. Foreign currency gains and losses are included in the results of operations in the period in which they occur. Income taxes Solitario accounts for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740, “Accounting for Income Taxes.” Under ASC 740, income taxes are provided for the tax effects of transactions reported in the financial statements and consist of taxes currently due plus deferred taxes related to certain income and expenses recognized in different periods for financial and income tax reporting purposes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities represent the future tax return consequences of those differences, which will either be taxable or deductible when the assets and liabilities are recovered or settled. Deferred taxes are also recognized for operating losses and tax credits that are available to offset future taxable income and income taxes, respectively. A valuation allowance is provided if it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Accounting for uncertainty in income taxes ASC 740 clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in a company's financial statements. ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. ASC 740 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure, and transition. ASC 740 provides that a company's tax position will be considered settled if the taxing authority has completed its examination, the company does not plan to appeal, and it is remote that the taxing authority would reexamine the tax position in the future. These provisions of ASC 740 had no effect on Solitario's financial position or results of operations. See Note 8, “Income Taxes” below. Earnings per share The calculation of basic and diluted loss per share is based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. Potentially dilutive shares related to outstanding common stock options of 3,748,000 and 2,022,000 for the three months March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, and warrants issued to RMBAH to acquire 1,624,748 shares of common stock for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 were excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share because the effects were anti-dilutive. Employee stock compensation and incentive plans Solitario classifies all of its stock options as equity options in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718 “Compensation – Stock Compensation” Recent accounting pronouncements In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, “Presentation of Financial Statements—Going Concern: Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern”. The standard requires an entity's management to evaluate whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. Public entities are required to apply the standard for annual reporting periods ending after December 15, 2016, and interim periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to impact the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. If any event occurs in future periods that could affect the Company’s ability to continue as going concern, the Company will provide appropriate disclosures as required by ASU 2014-15.

Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

1. Business and Significant Accounting Policies

1. Business and Significant Accounting Policies

Business and company formation

Solitario Exploration & Royalty Corp. (“Solitario” or the “Company”) is a development stage company at March 31, 2015 under Industry Guide 7, as issued by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), with a current focus on the Mt. Hamilton gold project located in Nevada. Solitario was incorporated in the state of Colorado on November 15, 1984 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Crown Resources Corporation ("Crown"). In July 1994, Solitario became a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") through its Initial Public Offering. Solitario has been actively involved in mineral exploration since 1993. In December 2010 Solitario signed the Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement of Mt. Hamilton LLC (the “MH Agreement”) with DHI Minerals (U.S.) Ltd., (“DHI”) and formed Mt. Hamilton LLC (“MH-LLC”), the owner of the Mt. Hamilton project. DHI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ely Gold and Minerals, Inc. (“Ely”). Solitario may either develop the Mt. Hamilton project or otherwise enter into an arrangement to monetize its interest in the project through a sale of all or a part of that interest or other joint venture type of arrangement. However, Solitario has never developed a mineral property and the development of the Mt. Hamilton project would require a significant amount of outside capital.

In addition Solitario focuses on the acquisition of precious and base metal properties with exploration potential and the development or purchase of royalty interests. Solitario acquires and holds a portfolio of exploration properties for future sale or joint venture or to create a royalty prior to the establishment of proven and probable reserves. Solitario has recorded revenue in the past from the sale of mineral property and joint venture property payments and the sale of a royalty on its Mt. Hamilton property. Revenues from the sale or joint venture of properties have not been a significant source of revenue and would occur, if at all, on an infrequent basis in the future.

The accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements of Solitario for the three March 31, 2015 and 2014 are unaudited and are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. They do not include all disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles for annual financial statements, but in the opinion of management, include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring items, necessary for a fair presentation. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results, which may be achieved in the future or for the full year ending December 31, 2015.

These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto which are included in Solitario’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. The accounting policies set forth in those annual financial statements are the same as the accounting policies utilized in the preparation of these financial statements, except as modified for appropriate interim financial statement presentation.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming Solitario will continue as a going concern. As of March 31, 2015 Solitario has a working capital deficit of $3,200,000. As explained in more detail in Note 4, “Short-term Debt,” Solitario entered into a facility agreement (the “Facility Agreement”) with RMB Australia Holdings Limited (“RMBAH”) and RMB Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“RMBR”) whereby Solitario has borrowed $5,000,000 from RMBAH (with any amounts outstanding collectively being the “RMB Loan”). The RMB Loan is due on August 20, 2015. Solitario currently does not have sufficient liquidity to repay the RMB Loan when due raising substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management is currently in discussions to refinance the RMB Loan or raise additional funds from the sale of common shares, additional borrowing or the sale of assets to facilitate the repayment of the RMB Loan. There is no assurance that Solitario will be able to refinance the RMB Loan or raise sufficient funds on acceptable terms. The accompanying financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Under the terms of the RMB Loan, Solitario will be in default if it is unable to repay the RMB Loan when it is due on August 20, 2015. Should Solitario be in default, RMBAH has, among other rights, the right to foreclose on its security interest in certain assets of Solitario to satisfy its obligation.

Financial reporting

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Solitario and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, controlled non-wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("generally accepted accounting principles"), and are expressed in US dollars.

Revenue recognition

Solitario records delay rental payments as revenue in the period received. Any payments received for the sale of property interests are recorded as a reduction of the related property's capitalized cost. Proceeds which exceed the capitalized cost of the property without reserves are recognized as revenue. Payments received on the sale of properties with reserves are recognized as revenue to the extent the proceeds exceed the proportionate basis in the assets sold. Gain on the sale of a mineral property revenue stream is deferred to the extent there is a guarantee for the future revenue stream until such time as the potential funding obligation for the guarantee is reduced or released.

Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Some of the more significant estimates included in the preparation of Solitario's financial statements pertain to: (i) the recoverability of mineral properties, with significant emphasis on Mt. Hamilton and the recoverability of its investment as well as the recoverability of mineral exploration properties and their future exploration potential; (ii) the fair value of Solitario's stock option grants to employees; (iii) the ability of Solitario to realize its deferred tax assets; (iv) the current portion of Solitario's investment in marketable equity securities; (v) the fair value of Solitario’s liability for warrants Solitario issued to RMBAH upon entering into the Facility Agreement

In performing its activities, Solitario has incurred certain costs for mineral properties. The recovery of these costs is ultimately dependent upon the sale of mineral property interests or the development of economically recoverable ore reserves and the ability of Solitario to obtain the necessary permits and financing to successfully place the properties into production, and upon future profitable operations, none of which is assured.

Cash equivalents

Cash equivalents include investments in highly liquid money-market securities with original maturities of three months or less when purchased. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 Solitario had concentrations of cash and cash equivalents in excess of federally insured amounts and cash in foreign banks, which are not covered under the federal deposit insurance rules for the United States.

Mineral properties

Solitario expenses all exploration costs incurred on its mineral properties prior to the establishment of proven and probable reserves through the completion of a feasibility study. Initial acquisition costs of its mineral properties are capitalized. Solitario began capitalizing all of its development expenditures on its Mt. Hamilton project, subsequent to the completion of a feasibility study in 2012. Solitario regularly performs evaluations of its investment in mineral properties to assess the recoverability and/or the residual value of its investments in these assets. All long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or circumstances change which indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable, utilizing established guidelines based upon undiscounted future net cash flows from the asset or upon the determination that certain exploration properties do not have sufficient potential for economic mineralization.

Derivative instruments

Solitario accounts for its derivative instruments in accordance with ASC 815 "Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities" (“ASC 815”). Solitario has not designated its covered calls as hedging instruments and any changes in the fair value of the covered calls and the RMB Warrants are recognized in the statement of operations in the period of the change.

Fair value

FASB ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC 820”) establishes a framework for measuring fair value and requires enhanced disclosures about fair value measurements. ASC 820 clarifies that fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. For certain of Solitario's financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, short-term margin loans and accounts payable, the carrying amounts approximate fair value due to their short-term maturities. Solitario's marketable equity securities and the Kinross Gold Corporation (“Kinross”) calls are carried at their estimated fair value based on quoted market prices. See Note 7, “Fair Value” below.

Marketable equity securities

Solitario's investments in marketable equity securities are classified as available-for-sale and are carried at fair value, which is based upon quoted prices of the securities owned. Solitario records investments in marketable equity securities as available-for-sale for investments in publicly traded marketable equity securities for which it does not exercise significant control and where Solitario has no representation on the Board of those companies and exercises no control over the management of those companies. The cost of marketable equity securities sold is determined by the specific identification method. Changes fair values are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income within shareholders' equity, unless a decline in fair value is considered other than temporary, in which case the decline is recognized as a loss in the consolidated statements of operations.

Foreign exchange

The United States dollar is the functional currency for all of Solitario's foreign subsidiaries. Although Solitario's South American exploration activities have been conducted primarily in Brazil, Peru and Mexico, a portion of the payments under the land, leasehold and exploration agreements of Solitario are denominated in United States dollars. Foreign currency gains and losses are included in the results of operations in the period in which they occur.

Income taxes

Solitario accounts for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740, “Accounting for Income Taxes.” Under ASC 740, income taxes are provided for the tax effects of transactions reported in the financial statements and consist of taxes currently due plus deferred taxes related to certain income and expenses recognized in different periods for financial and income tax reporting purposes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities represent the future tax return consequences of those differences, which will either be taxable or deductible when the assets and liabilities are recovered or settled. Deferred taxes are also recognized for operating losses and tax credits that are available to offset future taxable income and income taxes, respectively. A valuation allowance is provided if it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

Accounting for uncertainty in income taxes

ASC 740 clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in a company's financial statements. ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. ASC 740 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure, and transition. ASC 740 provides that a company's tax position will be considered settled if the taxing authority has completed its examination, the company does not plan to appeal, and it is remote that the taxing authority would reexamine the tax position in the future. These provisions of ASC 740 had no effect on Solitario's financial position or results of operations. See Note 8, “Income Taxes” below.

Earnings per share

The calculation of basic and diluted loss per share is based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. Potentially dilutive shares related to outstanding common stock options of 3,748,000 and 2,022,000 for the three months March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, and warrants issued to RMBAH to acquire 1,624,748 shares of common stock for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 were excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share because the effects were anti-dilutive.

Employee stock compensation and incentive plans

Solitario classifies all of its stock options as equity options in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718 “Compensation – Stock Compensation”

Recent accounting pronouncements

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, “Presentation of Financial Statements—Going Concern: Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern”. The standard requires an entity's management to evaluate whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. Public entities are required to apply the standard for annual reporting periods ending after December 15, 2016, and interim periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to impact the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. If any event occurs in future periods that could affect the Company’s ability to continue as going concern, the Company will provide appropriate disclosures as required by ASU 2014-15.