Silver

Precious metals have been held in great esteem since their discovery thousands of years ago. Those such as gold and silver have graced the necks and homes of royalty, been tainted as blood money, been buried, been stolen, and been used to create some of the most beautiful items in ancient and modern history.

While gold is perhaps the most mentioned precious metal, silver is perhaps the most useful as well as beautiful. It is hard to think of the shining white metal as an element found alongside carbon and oxygen, but it is. In its most simple form, silver is highly lustrous and very malleable which makes it ideal for craftsmanship.

In addition to its native state, silver is found in various ores including lead, copper, gold, and argentite. Ancient slag shows that it was extracted from lead more than 3,000 years ago. It has been used as currency, decoration, and adornment since that time.

Ancient Silver 

For thousands of years, silver was used as a form of currency and a sign of wealth. It was valuable and owning silver coins or bullion was a method of investment and savings. Silver was also used as jewelry and in more modern history, to create the curios and silverware still found in antique shops today.

Modern Silver 

Today silver has many more uses than currency and adornment. More than thirty percent of the manufactured silver in the United States is used in photography. More silver is used to create items such as batteries, dental fillings, alloys and electrical contacts. Silver is used to produce mirrors and paints made with silver are used to create printed circuits.

All of these uses are in addition to the uses we most commonly think of. Silver jewelry and silver flatware made from sterling silver, silver coins and bullion, and silver curios are still created and enjoyed by a large percentage of the population. Silver bullion and coins are produced for investment, and antique enthusiasts display large collections of both ancient and modern silver curios.

Investing with Silver 

Silver prices have a history of large fluctuations, but have risen considerably since 2000. There have always been large ups and downs since the end of governmental control, but silver is still considered an excellent investment. Silver prices are often stated in relation to gold prices. Both gold and silver have doubled in value in relation to the United States dollar since 2001, and major companies are still using silver as a reserve, although the United States and most other countries no longer uses it in its currency.

Special Silver 

In addition to its beauty and investment properties, silver has some unique characteristics in regard to health. Silver has natural germ fighting properties and can actually heal and prevent infections. These properties make a case for silverware as the ideal utensil that can help kill germs in food. Many companies are exploring other uses of silver for health functions including silver ions in washing machines and even silver toilet seats.

Continue browsing this site to discover more amazing facts and information about this wonderful precious metal.