Silver is an ubiquitous element, meaning it is found in many places and has many uses.
In
fourteen languages, the words for silver and money are the same.
Throughout
history, more people have used silver for money than have used gold.
Silver is
the best conductor of heat of all elements. Its uses in solar panels and
automobile rear window defoggers take advantage of this quality.
Silver
coins have the highest degree of optical reflectivity. A Silver mirror can reflect about 95% of the
visible light spectrum.
In the
earliest Egyptian records, Silver was considered more precious than Gold.
The name
Silver originates from the Old English Anglo-Saxon word 'seolfor' meaning
Silver.
In 1900,
there were approximately 12 billion ounces of silver in the world. Today, that figure has fallen to about 300
million ounces of above-ground, refined silver.
Geologists
estimate there are 17 ounces of silver on the planet for every ounce of gold.
This explains why, for more than 200 years, an ounce of gold has sold for 15-20
times the price of an ounce of silver.
More than
95% of annual silver consumption is from industrial and decorative uses;
photography, jewelry, and silverware.
One out of
every seven pairs of prescription eyeglasses sold in the U.S. incorporates
silver.
Every
electrical action in a modern car is activated with silver coated contacts.