The Many Uses Of Silver

The first ever historical account of human interaction with silver dates back to the earliest human civilizations over five thousand years ago. It is also included in the list of precious metals that have on earth along with gold, among others. It’s first mined from ores that contain them in their purest form before it’s processed to be used in different forms. Here are some of them:

In the past, silver as a currency had been produced in mints along with the gold coins being used in circulation. These coins have lower value because it’s value isn’t regarded as higher than gold. Even in today’s economy, with the gold standard implemented by the US, silver bullions, coins, and rounds have lesser value than its gold and platinum counterparts, but, even if you choose to invest in silver it’s still considered as a viable option and can be a sizeable one.

Another use for this metal can be found in the jewelries and decorations that were worn all over the body or in castles in the past. It’s natural luster and sparkle can also catch the attention of people in a room when worn. The common term used in today’s jewelry market is sterling silver representing the standard that was set for this metal to be sold in the market which would .925 in purity. An alloy mixed with copper that is hard and durable which is also popularly used in the items we call silverware today and that includes plates, spoons, and forks, among other utensils. Buying such items cost quite a bit of money because of the amount of silver used in making them. In line with this, asides from being the main component, silver is also used as a support component for making gold, along with copper, the amount used in the item can dictate the intensity of the hue of the gold that is produced based on the interaction that it has with the other metals.

For medicine, silver serves as an antibiotic. During the early human civilizations, people used silver containers to prevent spoilage of their drinking water and records show that Hipocrates known as the man who started the practice of medicine showed that he used medicine in treating bacteria and viruses. As of today, silver in the medical world is used as a growth inhibitor of fungi, viruses, and bacteria because of its property to kill bacteria without it becoming immune to it which makes it a very effective antibiotic. But, this is done in different forms that can be both effective and safe like gels and other types of medicines.

As for the natural property of silver which is being the best conductor among all of the metals found existing on earth, it has become a staple in electronic materials like semi-conductors, chips, fuse, among others. They are used in batteries so that it can last longer and give more energy.

With all of that, an overview of how important silver is in the lives of humans. Research and development may widen its scope of use in the future creating endless possibilities that it can impact the life of a human.

References:

http://drhedberg.com/2010/12/01/the-many-uses-of-silver/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver
http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele047.html
http://www.silver-coin-investor.com/silver-uses.html

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