Materials science 4: Silver
Properties and facts about production
Gold or silver? Opinions vary on this subject. Or, better put: preferences do. While some favor gold jewelry, others are partial to adorning themselves with silver rings, necklaces and earrings. However, silver plays an important role not only in the jewelry world, but also in medicine, electronics, photography or even space travel. The material is thus highly versatile and technically grouped in the category of transition metals. Reason enough for us to dedicate an entire blog post to this multi-talent. The description below will delve into the most important properties of silver and detail exciting facts about its production and use.
A material with a long history
Occurring in nature as a native element, silver is categorized as a transitional precious metal. You usually come across silver in the form of grains or nuggets, thin plates or sheets, as well as branched silver braids or wires. In addition, the transition metal is mainly contained in sulfuric minerals. The origins of the word "silver" can be traced back to the Middle English words “selver” and “sulver”, which have their origin in the Proto-Germanic word “silubra”. Various theories are circulating about the origin of the word, shrouding the time of its initial appearance in uncertainty. But, one fact is certain: Silver has been processed by mankind since the 5th millennium BC. It was used, for instance, by the Assyrians, the Goths, the Romans, the Egyptians, and the Germanic peoples. It has also been proven that the Phoenicians stored water, wine and vinegar in silver bottles in order to protect the liquids from bacteria. In addition, we know that the Greeks operated mines in Laurion, approximately 50 kilometers south of Athens. In the Middle Ages and early modern times, the discovery of silver ore deposits in Central Europe shifted the focus towards Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia or even Norway. However, the largest silver producer in the Middle Ages was the Schwaz region in Tyrol. The discovery of America gradually resulted in the distribution of large amounts of Latin American silver across the rest of the continents. And, this development is even reflected linguistically to this day - in the country name of "Argentina". This is because of the fact that the South American country owes its name to the Spanish adjective "argentino", which means "silvery". This word, in turn, derives from the Latin word "argentum”. Silver was also used as legal tender for a long time, which is why the words "silver" and "money" are still identical in 14 languages today. For instance, Henry II of England minted the first silver currency in England in 1158.
Silver: About production
20 percent of today's silver is extracted from silver ores, with the most important silver deposits now located in Mexico, the United States, Canada, Peru, and Bolivia as well as Russia and Australia. A cyanide leaching process with a sodium cyanide solution is used as a means to release the silver. Oxygen plays another key role in this type of silver production - which is why proper ventilation is essential. Another possibility is the extraction of silver from lead or copper ores. Next, the extracted silver is refined by means of the Moebius process – i.e. raw silver is cleaned electrolytically.
A precious metal with a variety of properties
In terms of properties, silver is a true jack of all trades. Not only is it the most reflective element, it is also the most malleable metal - aside from gold. Nearly 2,500 meters of wire can be formed from one ounce of silver. Silver remains stable in oxygen and water. However, if exposed to ozone, hydrogen sulfide or sulfur-containing air, silver will tarnish. Chemically pure silver, also called fine silver, is commercially available, but usually too soft for most use cases. It is therefore blended with other materials. For example, sterling silver contains 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent other metals, including - in most cases - copper. Silver also has the highest electrical conductivity of all elements in their unmodified state and the highest thermal conductivity of all metals.
Versatile use
All these different properties of the precious metal have made it a material that was and still is widely used in many areas. For example, silver compounds were used during World War I to contain the spread of infections in war zones. In the past, cavity fillings sometimes contained silver as well. And, in the field of alternative medicine, it was used to combat colds or flu viruses. One reason for its tremendous medical importance is that bacteria cannot become resistant to the precious metal. But not only medicine benefits from this substance: silver is now also used in solar panels, electrical circuits, and batteries as well as in photography and space travel. And finally, it has also become an indispensable element in the world of jewelry. At our company, it enters into a seamless liaison with our main protagonists, sapphires and rubies. The results are unique pieces of jewelry, that are not only durable, but also carry inside of them the elements of deceased persons of the heart.