A method of recovering metal and/or oxide thereof from a slurry is described. The method involves magnetically separating at least a portion of any magnetic impurities from the slurry and then leaching or dissolving at least a portion of any remaining magnetic impurities in a slurry. At least one chelating agent can then be added to the slurry and the solids can be recovered from the slurry by various separation techniques. The methods of the present invention are particularly useful in the recovery of tantalum and/or oxide thereof especially tantalum and/or oxide thereof having a very fine size.