Description
Silver was used for decorations and as currency even before the beginning of the Common Era. Excavations show that silver was separated from lead on islands in the Aegean Sea and Anatolia as early as 4000-3500 BC. Silver was often associated with the moon, the sea, and various gods. In alchemy, the crescent moon symbol was used for silver, and alchemists called it Luna. The metal mercury was thought to be a type of silver. In some languages, this is still reflected in the name mercury, such as quicksilver in English or kwikzilver (meaning "living silver") in somewhat older Dutch. Much later, it turned out that they were two completely different elements. The name "silver" derives via the Old High German silbar from the Germanic root *seluƀra-. It is suspected that this is a loanword originating from Asia Minor or even further afield. In Latin, silver is called argentum, from which silver owes its symbol Ag. There are at least fourteen languages in which the same word is used for silver and money. Well-known examples are the Spanish plata and the French argent. Until well into the 20th century, silver and gold coins were humanity's primary means of payment. Today, silver is only used in commemorative coins and other collector coins and medals. Silver is a common material in applied arts for the production of reliefs, portrait busts, reliquaries, baptismal shells and other liturgical vessels, candlesticks, tobacco and snuff boxes, coffee pots, tableware, and other decorative and utilitarian objects. Sterling silver (an alloy with a very high silver content) is widely used by goldsmiths to make jewelry. Silver bracelets, necklaces, and earrings have been known since antiquity. In the 18th century, silver shoe buckles were fashionable. A charm bracelet is almost always made of silver. Silver is also used to plate objects made of inferior metals. Silver leaf, consisting of thin slices of silver, is used for decoration, for example, in paintings (icons) or in the manufacture of gilded leather. A special application of silver leaf is vark (or varakh), the popular Indian custom of decorating pastries with very thin layers of pure silver. Silver is suitable for very high-quality mirrors because it has good light-reflecting properties. However, aluminum is usually used for this purpose because it is much cheaper. Silver's good electrical conductivity makes it a very suitable material for electrical and electronic products. In circuits, silver (or silver alloys) is used to connect components. Silver is too expensive for longer connections. As a catalyst, silver is used in industry, for example, in the production of formaldehyde and ethylene oxide. Silver is no longer used in dentistry because, although relatively easy to form, it does have some toxic properties. Due to its disinfectant properties, silver is now also used again to purify or keep drinking water clean. Especially for small quantities of water (up to 100 liters), silver (as silver nitrate) is easier to dose and apply than chlorine. Colloidal silver was once used as an antibiotic in medicine, and it remains so in alternative medicine. In the laboratory, silver nitrate is often used as a reagent in chloride determinations, including precipitation titrations. This process forms the insoluble silver chloride. Silver is used as silver halides in photography. Finely atomized silver iodide is used to produce rain and reduce fog around airports. Silver iodide causes the aggregation of small water droplets that form clouds. Silver is an easy-to-work metal that is slightly harder than gold and has a white sheen. Of all metals, silver has the best electrical conductivity and the lowest contact resistance, better than copper and gold. Gold, on the other hand, is more commonly used because it does not corrode. Furthermore, of all metals, silver conducts heat best and has the highest optical reflectance (at least for visible light; it reflects ultraviolet light poorly). Silver halides are sensitive to light. The metal is stable in pure air and water, but it discolors when exposed to ozone or hydrogen sulfide. When silver comes into contact with sulfur or its compounds, a black layer of silver sulfide forms.
