Silver
The Dull Side
Even though polished pure silver shines more brightly than
any other metal on earth, it can also be very dull. We have
all seen tarnished silver from jewelry to heirloom tea sets.
Tarnish is the result of a reaction between the silver and
sulfur in the air. This reaction creates silver-sulfide, a
gray or even blackish substance we call tarnish. Today, tarnishing
of silver is becoming a bigger problem due to the increasing
levels of air pollution including sulfur.
Some Lustrous Facts
| • |
Silver in its purest form is called
metallic-free or native. Pure silver is VERY soft. |
| • |
The elemental symbol for silver is
AG from the Latin argentum meaning "silver." |
| • |
Silver is one of the first three precious
metals to be used by human beings. |
| • |
Silver is the lightest weight of the
precious metals. |
| • |
Sterling silver is an alloy or mixture
of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. This is done to increase
silver's hardness. |
| • |
Silver reflects 95% of the light that
strikes it! This makes it the most lustrous of the three
precious metals |
| • |
Silver is primarily used to create
beautiful objects such as fine tableware, jewelry, mirrors
and coins |
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