Silver is a very pretty gray white metal. It is quite soft and provides resistance from corrosion, and it does not oxidize easily. But, it can form a surface tarnish of silver sulfide. It is the best conductor of electricity among all the metals. It is considered as a precious metal along with gold and platinum. Since silver is a rare metal that also adds to its preciousness.
Everybody knows that Silver is used extensively in various forms of jewelry. Despite the shine and luster of the silver, it is relatively quite cheap metal as compared to others. It is easily accessible as well. Silver jewelry has a rare distinction of complimenting any skin tone with an equal ease. At one time, it can be elegant, and at the other time, it can be used casually.
Silver is considered as a precious metal. It is used extensively to make silverware. They can be made from sterling silver or standard silver. It is also used in photographic paper and film. The most common example of its usage is commercial photography. Silver is used heavily in the industrial sector. It is used by industries for industrial X-rays and graphic arts.
In the medical area also, silver has found its place. It is used by dentists for various purposes like tooth filling. It is used in the field of electronics due to its good conductivity of electricity. Also, it is used in batteries and connectors. It is used to make tableware and wrought plates. Some humidifier on the market uses silver to make rods which are used to eliminate bacteria.
Silver has the highest conductivity among metals and it is a good conductor of heat as well. The conductivity of silver is better than the copper, but copper is primarily used in wires for electricity conductivity because of its cheapness. It provides lower contact resistance of any other metal. Silver is also known as white metal because it has a high optical reflectivity. It also has the highest thermal conductivity in comparison to other metals.
Silver is considered to be stable in pure water and air. But, it has shown the signs of tarnishing if exposed to air or water that contains ozone. Many acids are available in the market. These acids can easily clean the black layer of the silver.
Standard silver is composed of 92% alloy and 8%copper. In many countries, it is mandatory to at least constitute 92% of fine silver in order to be marketable. Some of the markets sell their sterling silver with the help of a process known as flashing. A thin silver coating is provided on silver jewelry items through this process. This coating provides the required shiny finish to the silver jewelry. Britannia silver is composed of 95% of silver and 5% of copper. These variety of uses has made silver so important in our life.
Silver can be a very good investing option. If you're looking for ways to invest in silver or gold, you can find them here http://www.moneysilvergold.net/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Z_Hamlin
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