I was wondering, as I often do, especially now that I've found this group:
Has anyone else noticed that the greatest student in all of Middle-Earth is Galadriel? Probably because she is oldest surviving Noldo in Middle-Earth and the third-oldest Elf mentioned in the books. (Cirdan the Shipwright is the oldest, and Celeborn I would put at second.)
I can name two separate instances of what she did that she must have learned from someone else:
First of all, she learned a lot from Melian the Maia, wife of Elwe Singollo and mother of Luthien. As you recall, after the return of Morgoth to Middle-Earth after slaying the Two Trees and the theft of the Silmarils, she surrounded the Kingdom of Doriath with an unseen wall of shadows and bewilderment: the Girdle of Melian, so that no one could enter against her will or the will of the King, unless they had a power greater than hers. (Imagine if she had used her Bra instead of her Girdle!) Galdriel was able to do something similar in Lothlorien in the Third Age. As stated in the Appendices, the Power that dwelt there was too great for any to overcome, unless Sauron had come there himself. Even the Ringwraiths all together wouldn't have been able to conquer Lorien, unless Sauron was there to lead them personally. She was able to use the White Ring, Nenya, to strengthen the defenses, but I'm willing to bet that she learned that particular trick from Melian. After all, it is clearly stated that the power of the Three Rings was in Making, Healing, and Preserving things unstained by time.
The second example is the Phial of Galadriel. In her own way, she learned from Feanor and made a kind of Silmaril. She did just what he did: she trapped the light of the Silmaril in the waters of her Mirror (which is her version of the Palantiri, which were also made by Feanor) and then enclosed it in the crystal phial. Unlike the actual Silmarils, the Phial could be broken, and its power was finite, as Sam learned when he pulled it out in the Samath Naur, the Crack of Doom, and found that its light was weak so deep in the heart of Sauron's realm.
The Phial also hearkens back to the Feanorian lamps used by the Noldor in the First Age, (see The Unfinished Tales, Chapter One, Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin ) but while these lamps were indeed marvelously made and unquenchable, they did not have the power of the Phial.
These are just two examples that I could think of, or three examples, if you count the Mirror, but I'm sure there are others. I look forward to the responses this post generates, whether agreeing with me or disputing my arguments, or just commenting in general.

Don't ask me about that woman. I was extremely disappointed when she rejected the "dark side" in favour of diminishing and going into the West.

But at least she went into the West alone, without her garden lord, son of one red cutie Muppet.

Or one driven by a fate stronger than hers.


Of the Eldar, perhaps. But we must not forget the Avari who most probably never left Middle-eart after they rejected following Oromë to Aman.

That is very enchanting and hard to comprehend. How does one trap light I wonder. In the world apart from Middle-Earth if you hold a vial in sunlight with or without the cap on it is there and is quite lovely. But once you walk into the dark it is gone. I wish I knew how it was done.

That just HAS to go on a t-shirt . Great........

I thought she had a radient glow about her.

Nay, 'twas a duel with one of the Éorlingas.

Quite a waste of time too, imho. If Arwen really was the likeness of Lúthien, it's a no brainer who was most beautiful.

Then again, I guess being ensnared in the webs of a cruel, pale enchantress of the woods makes one a bit irrational. Or maybe he simply failed to understand that the Dark Queen's seemingly gracious words to him in Caras Galadhon were merely wickedly concealed sarcastic jabs.

Which he said he was going to place in imperishable crystal as a symbol of friendship between the people of the Mountain and of the Wood. And he was ready to duel with Eomer himself about who was more beautiful, Arwen or Galadriel. Gimli was more drawn toward the morning rather than the evening.

But at least Gimli was allowed to pass into the West with Legolas and to (supposedly) see Galadriel again. Whereas Arwen chose mortality and died out of the world shortly after Aragorn/Elessar died.

Yes, but then Arwen would more likely be interested in seeing Aragorn, her Elessar, rather than Eomer. My mind often slips a cog now and then too, and we knew what Tinúviel really meant.

I am quite certain, that Eomer, having fallen deeply in love, no longer thought any but his beloved to now be the most beautiful ever.

Here would come Clover's Love Triangles again, we never did mention Éomer? There are really too many to say... All main characters did get someone in the end, whether a close friend or a love... I like to think that Arwen is still with Elessar, standing atop the hill where she died... The memory still lingering ever after... a respectful end.

And would leaver us in stiches instead of all those tears.