10 Interesting Facts About Silver

Silver has been used for thousands of years as ornaments and utensils, for trade, and as the basis for many monetary systems.  Of all the metals, pure silver has the lightest color, the highest optical reflectivity, and the highest thermal and electrical conductivity.  Also, silver halides are photosensitive.  Owing to the above properties, silver has many industrial applications such as mirrors, electrical and electronic products, and photography, which is the largest single end use of silver.  Silver’s catalytic properties make it ideal for use as a catalyst in oxidation reactions; for example, the production of formaldehyde from methanol and air by means of silver screens or crystallites containing a minimum 99.95 weight-percent silver. ^[1]

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1. Silver is like a younger brother for Gold. Both are a result of a star explosion called a supernova. A study published in September 2012 in the Journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics found that smaller supernovas produce silver and bigger star explosions produce gold. ^[2]
2. Silver played a huge role in making early photography possible. Silver nitrate (silver combined with nitrogen and oxygen molecules) was used on photographic plates in the first, clunky cameras, according to the RSC, because it reacts to light by turning black — enabling photographers to capture an instant of light. Even with the rise of digital cameras, silver remains part of the traditional photographic process. ^[2]
3. For a long time investors have considered gold as the most precious metal, but the importance and value of silver cannot be neglected. Silver has been part of our history almost as long as gold. Human beings have coveted silver and gold for more than 6000 years. ^[3]
4. Silver was the first precious metal to be used as currency, dating back more than 4000 years ago.^[4]
5. Silver is the best electric conductor of the elements. It is used as the standard by which other conductors are measured. On a scale of 0 to 100, silver ranks 100 in terms of electrical conductivity. Copper ranks 97 and gold ranks 76. This is probably one of the biggest reasons why Silver is used in production and industrial material. ^[5]
6. Silver metal is not toxic to humans. In fact, it can be used as a food decoration. However, most silver salts are toxic. Silver is germicidal, meaning it kills bacteria and other lower organisms. ^[6]
7. The compound silver iodide has been used for cloud seeding, to cause clouds to produce rain and try to control hurricanes.^[7]
8. “Silver” means “money” in more than 14 different languages including French, Thai, Swahili, and Welsh.^[3]
9. The global Silver reserves amount to around 530,000 tons, about 3 times more than that of Gold.^[3]
10. The biggest producer of Silver is Mexico and the biggest buyer of Silver is the United States of America (as of 2016).^[3]

Read also: ´´20 interesting facts about Gold´´

You can buy Silver investment coins and Silver Investment Bars in Finland here.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as an investment analysis or recommendation to sell or buy commodities. Tavex is not responsible for any decisions made based on this information. Investing is associated with opportunities and risks, and the market value of commodities can both increase and decrease. Past or future yields on the commodities and financial ratios shown above do not represent a promise or an indication of future earnings.

^[1]https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nmic/silver-statistics-and-information
^[2]https://www.livescience.com/37040-silver.html
^[3]https://www.fullertonmarkets.com/blog/investing-tips-silver-facts
^[4]https://www.jmbullion.com/investing-guide/james/gold-silver-history/
^[5]https://www.thoughtco.com/interesting-silver-element-facts-603365
^[6]https://www.thoughtco.com/interesting-silver-element-facts-603365
^[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_seeding