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Silver is a metallic chemical element with the
symbol Ag , and
atomic number 47.
A soft white lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical
and
thermal conductivity of any metal and occurs in minerals and in free
form.
This metal is used in beads, ornaments, jewelry, coins, high-value
tableware,
photography, mirrors and more.
Silver, has been known since ancient times. It is mentioned in the book
of
Genesis, and there are indications that silver was being separated from
lead as
early as the 4th millennium BC.
 Silver has been used for thousands
of years
for ornaments and
utensils, for trade, and as the basis for many monetary systems.
Its value as a precious metal was long considered second only to gold.
In
Ancient Egypt and Medieval Europe, it was often more valuable than
gold.
Associated with the moon, as well as with the sea and various lunar
goddesses,
the metal was referred to by alchemists by the name "Luna"
(moon in Latin).
The metal mercury was thought of as a kind of
silver, though the two
elements are chemically unrelated; its Latin and English names,
hydrargyrum
("watery silver") and quicksilver, respectively, reflect this
history. In heraldry, the argent, in addition to being shown as silver,
can
also been shown as white.
Europeans found a huge amount of silver in the New
World in
Zacatecas and Potosí, which triggered a period of inflation in Europe . The conquistador Pizarro was said to
have
resorted to having his horses shod with silver horseshoes due to the
metals
abundance, in contrast to the relative lack of iron in Peru .
Silver, which was extremely valuable in China , became a global
commodity,
contributing to the rise of the Spanish Empire. The rise and fall of
its value
affected the world market.
The Rio de la Plata was named after silver (in Spanish, Plata), and in
turn
lent the meaning of its name to Argentina
. Silver mining was a driving force in the settlement of western North
America,
with major booms for silver and associated minerals (lead, mostly) in
the
galena ore silver is most commonly found in. Notable "silver rushes"
were in Colorado , Nevada
, Cobalt, Ontario , California
and the Kootenay region of British
Columbia , notably in the Boundary and "Silvery
Slocan".
Silver is a ductile and malleable (slightly harder
than gold)
monovalent coinage metal with a brilliant white metallic luster that
can take a
high degree of polish. It has the highest electrical conductivity of
all
metals, even higher than copper, but its greater cost and tendency to
tarnish
have prevented it from being widely used in place of copper for
electrical
purposes.
Among metals, pure silver has the highest thermal conductivity and one
of the
highest optical reflectivity.
Silver also has the lowest contact resistance of any metal. Silver is
stable in
pure air and water, but tarnishes when it is exposed to air or water
containing
ozone or hydrogen sulfide to form a black layer of silver sulfide which
can be
cleaned off with dilute hydrochloric acid.
Jewellery and silverware are traditionally made from
sterling silver
, an alloy of 92.5% silver with 7.5% copper.
Sterling silver jewelry is often plated with a thin coat of .999 fine
silver to
give the item a shiny finish. This process is called "flashing".
Silver jewelry can also be plated with rhodium (for a bright, shiny
look) or
gold.
Historically the training and guild organization of goldsmiths included
silversmiths as well, and the two crafts remain largely overlapping.
Unlike
blacksmiths, silversmiths do not shape the metal while it is red-hot
but
instead, work it at room temperature with gentle and carefully placed
hammer-blows.
The essence of silver-smithing is to take a flat piece of metal and by
means of
different hammers, stakes and other simple tools, to transform it into
a useful
object.
Silver is valuable, and so is very popular. Silver has also become very
fashionable, and is used frequently in more artistic jewellery pieces.
We are proud at our sterling silver
jewelry.
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