SILVER
Thinking about investing in silver? Here's your essential guide to the history, culture and science of one of the most remarkable metals known to man.
. The Periodic Table lists elements in order of atomic weight. At 47 on the table, silver is represented by 'Ag' from argentum, the Latin description for white, shiny metal. . Silver is one of the seven so-called 'metals of antiquity' which mankind identified and found uses for thousands of years ago. . First mined around 3,000 BC in a region now part of Turkey, silver was originally refined by the process of 'cupellation', which uses high temperatures to oxidize and remove base metal impurities. . Because of its resistance to oxidation and corrosion, silver was known as a 'noble' metal, a group which includes gold and platinum. . Soft enough for early craftsmen to work into intricate patterns, silver was ideal for making ornate objects. In fact, it can be stretched into wire thinner than a human hair. . Adding to the attraction of silver as ornamentation, it is one of the most lustrous of all metals when polished.
. As well as its long association with jewellery, silver has been used in the manufacture of cutlery and tableware since Roman times.
. Sterling silver was invented in the Middle Ages. It contains 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals (usua...
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