SILVER (Ag – argentum)
A precious metal with white color, strong luster, malleable, and ductile.
Physical Properties
Basic physical parameters of silver:
Silver in Jewelry
Silver is a white, soft metal with beautiful metallic luster and exceptional ease of polishing. For manufacturing jewelry items, it is used together with copper. Most jewelry products are made from 925 silver, which is an alloy containing 92.5% pure silver.
Chemical Properties
Silver is characterized by high malleability and workability. Its surface changes very slightly in air. Under the influence of sulfur compounds, it quickly turns brown or black, which is caused by the formation of silver sulfide.
Natural Occurrence
In nature, native silver is very rarely found. Most commonly, silver occurs in compounds with other elements such as sulfur, arsenic, antimony, forming minerals:
Silver in Other Metal Ores
In addition, silver in amounts of 0.01 – 0.03%, and sometimes even 0.1%, constantly accompanies lead and copper ores.
History of Extraction
The history of silver extraction dates back to ancient times:
Discovery in America
After the discovery of America, Spanish conquistadors at the beginning of the 16th century plundered huge amounts of silver there and brought it to Europe. In the mid-19th century, extremely rich silver deposits were discovered in America, which caused a huge decrease in silver value. At that time, silver also ceased to be used as a metal backing for money.
Modern Extraction
Nowadays, silver extraction from silver-bearing ore has almost completely ceased. This proved too costly relative to the value of the metal. Currently, silver is recovered as a by-product during the extraction and refining of industrially important metals such as copper, zinc, and lead.
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