The differences of chemical characteristics of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu 3d and other eight precious metal elements in M group and Ⅷ group, together with that of precious metal elements of Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag 4d and Os, Ir, Pt, Au, 5d were analyzed in terms of atomic structure. This paper stated that their chemical stability increased from the left side to the right when transverse comparison was conducted and the chemical stability rank occurred as 3d≤4d＜5d when longitudinal comparison was carried out. From the practice of extraction metallurgy of precious metals from copper-sulphide nickel ores, the paper discussed the behaviour of precious metal elements in thermometallurgical processes such as baking-reduction smelting-oxygen blasting and hydrometallurgical processes such as electrolytic concentration, sulphuric acidification of anode slime, wet chloridification, pressured oxidification and optional reduction.