Since the early days of civilization, the ancients connected the brilliance of silver to the moon. Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon, wore silver sandals and shot from a silver bow and arrow. This lunar comparison might be fitting because like the moon, silver also has many phases. The properties of silver make it the most dynamic of precious metals.
Evidence shows that silver was first separated from lead as far back in 3,000 BC. Many ancient civilizations used silver as money, including the Greeks, Romans, and Ottomans. This was because of silver’s natural properties which make it malleable, divisible, durable, consistent, and rare.
Throughout history, people have used silver to prevent and combat illness. We now know today that silver has unique and impressive antibacterial properties that help it break down the cell walls of harmful bacteria. Silver also is the most conductive metal, and one of the three most reflective metals (along with gold and aluminum, and depending on the wavelength of light). These properties help make silver one of the most important industrial metals, with uses from photography to solar cells.
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