Silver is a precious and magical metal. In common culture silver appears before 5000 BCE. One of the seven metals of antiquity, silver is known to prehistoric humans. In raw form silver is rare. It's most often created from the refining process of copper and other metals.
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The word silver comes from the Latin argentum based on the Proto-Indo-European h₂erǵ meaning 'shiny, white'. The Proto-Indo-Europeans occupied the steppes south of the Danube from 4500 BCE, and dispersed throughout Europe.
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Because of its excellent abilities of transferal of heat or electricity silver is commonly used in science, engineering and medicine. Among the metals silver is the most highly reflective, used for the process of silvering for mirrors.
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By c. 2000 BCE silver is being extracted from lead ores. The ore must be heated to high temperatures in an oxygen reduced atmosphere. The metals leave their base rock and form an alloy. Silver can be further refined with chemical processes.
Silver has less use for early alchemists than copper or gold. As one of the noble metals silver is sometimes a subject of transmutation experiments.
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Large deposits of native silver occur in Mesoamerica. The natural metal is brought to Europe in the 16th century by the Spanish and Portuguese, along with gold, vanilla, corn, tomatoes and chocolate.
As a malleable metal silver is easily worked with hand tools. Silver jewelry and ornaments are popular exports of Mesopotamia, Crete and Cyprus. The gleaming metal gains widespread popularity as money.
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By the rise of the Greek and Roman Empires silver is already in circulation as coinage. The Greeks were extracting silver from galena, the natural mineral form of lead, by the 7th century BCE. Silver mines at Laurium lead to the rise of Athens.
Silver is also powerful in magic and spiritual meaning. Its reflective nature makes it an energy enhancer. In alchemy and spirituality silver relates to women and the moon. The alchemic symbol for silver is a crescent moon.
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A feminine or yin metal, silver brings qualities of intuition, clear dreams, second sight, gentle virtues, inner strength, rest or passivity (as opposed to activity). Silver relates to element Water. This metal can encourage the flow of money and prosperity.
It corresponds to inward seeking, peaceful solutions, harmony of opposites. Silver can be used to enhance or encourage these qualities in the self. Because of its mystic, attractive qualities, silver is lucky for romance. Silver also aids clairvoyance and spirit communication.
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Because of its antiquity, power and beauty, silver is the Queen of Precious Metals. So much in demand was silver that by the Middle Ages the sources had dwindled and new mines opened in Europe. A famous source of silver is the Black Forest in southwest Germany.
Silver has mystical powers in folklore, such as the American concept of killing a werewolf with a silver bullet. It's the metal most beloved of the creatures of Faerie. In Secrets of the Nyx half-nixie Lora Ley collects silver from the river.
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Silver is about as plentiful in the Earth's crust as mercury, 0.08 parts / million. It occurs most often in sulfide rocks. Sulfur is listed as synonymous with the prima materia in alchemy, the prime matter or starting material for the elusive Philosopher's Stone.
Silver rings or coins carry the spiritual powers of the circle shape. The circle relates to the moon, completeness or wholeness, purity, divine awakening. Circles, like horseshoes, are containers or vessels for magical energies.
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The Kingdom of Lydia in Asia Minor minted the first coins in c. 600 BCE. They were made of electrum, a natural alloy of silver and gold. Silver comes into common use in 1742. A cutler in Sheffield invented silver plate when spilled molten silver fuses to copper of a knife.
The product is known as Sheffield silver. Copper, lead and tin are used extensively as base metals for silver and gold, making the expensive metalware available to the public.
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