Silver is the most plentiful and least expensive of the precious metals. The largest silver producing countries are Mexico, Peru, the US, Australia and Chile. We get silver from silver that is mined directly and also silver that is mined as a byproduct of gold, copper, lead and zinc mining. Silver also comes from silver extracted from recycled materials. Most of the silver supply is in silver bullion stocks.
Silver has superior properties that make it a highly desirable industrial component in manufactured products. Some of its unique properties include beauty, strength, and sensitivity to light. It is also malleable and has the ability to endure extreme temperature changes.
Silver is used in for many different things and some of the traditional uses include; coins, photography, silver jewelry, and silverware and table settings. Silver has been used as a medium of exchange since 550BC, and until the 19th century most nations were on a silver standard with silver coins forming the main circulating currency. Today, Mexico is the only country currently using silver even though it is in small amounts. Metals such as copper and nickel are the more commonly used metals for coins today.
Silver based photography is based on light striking sensitive silver halide crystals suspended on a film. Approximately 5,000 color photographs can be taken using one ounce of silver. The use of silver based imaging has been decreasing because of the growth of digital photography. This technique is still used for medical x-rays in some countries because of the low cost and high accuracy.
Silver Jewelry is highly prized for its brilliant luster and malleability. Pure silver is known as 999 fineness, and is almost tarnish proof but is too soft to use in jewelry. Silversmiths alloy silver with other metals such as copper to harden it. Sterling silver is 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. Sterling silver is a standard for silver jewelry. Sterling silver is also the standard for silverware, bowls and decorative items such as picture frames.
Silver is used in many industrial products, such as batteries. Rechargeable and disposable batteries can be manufactured with silver alloys as the negative side. These batteries are more expensive but are superior to non-silver batteries. The most common of these types are the small button shaped silver oxide cell which are used in cameras, toys, hearing aids, watches and calculators. Silver oxide batteries are beginning to replace lithium-ion batteries due to environmental and safety concerns.
Steel ball bearings can be electroplated with silver to give them greater fatigue strength and load carrying capacity than any other type. These types of bearings are used in jet engines. Silver brazing is the joining of materials when done above 600 degrees Celsius and soldering when done below that temperature. This produces a naturally smooth, leak proof, and corrosion proof joint. Silver brazing is widely used in air conditioning and refrigeration and for electric power distribution. It is also used in the automobile and aerospace industries.
Silver like gold is used for a variety of things. Most people only think about silver being used in jewelry and for coins. Sterling silver is not only very beautiful but also used in different types of products.
