Silver is one of the most popular materials for creating jewelry. Its classic color has overwhelmed most jewelry enthusiasts. This metal, that is found in mines, is a natural metal. Nowadays, besides jewelry, it is used to make cutleries, ornaments, trays, and even money.
The Origin
The first use of silver has been lost in history. However, it is known that prehistoric humans, including those from Ancient Greece, has been using the metal in their period in history. In 1200 BC, Greece already has a factory for most of the silver production. The mining of silver has also been around for more than 5000 years.
The popularity of silver as jewelry became rampant in the 19th Century. Even until today, silver has been an adequate choice for the fashion industry as well as in other uses. The largest mines are scattered throughout the world. They are in Mexico, Bolivia, Poland, Australia, Turkey, and Peru. These mines supply a huge chunk of the silver being used by different countries today.
The Creation
There are several ways to extract silver. The most popular of which is the cyanide heap leach method. In this process, the silver ore is first crushed into tinier pieces. Afterwards, it is mixed with lime, sodium cyanide, water, and cement mixing material. This would then produce a structure formed into heaps. When the heaps are formed, fine zinc dust is used to turn the liquid silver into solid. Afterwards, the silver can be filtered and lastly, made into bullions – like that in gold.
Jewelers often use sterling silver in making jewelry. Sterling silver has been the standard for global silver markets. The 925 sterling silver jewelry are quality jewelries and is the choice of silver by designers across the globe. Make sure to check for .925 quality marks for authenticity!
