Its name comes from the Latin argentum, it is found in hydrothermal veins. Its softness, its malleability, its low melting point and its brightness made it a popular metal for jewelry since ancient times. But it is as a currency that it has gained fame by giving its name to “money”. It was the metal whose value was closest to the gold (between 5 and 10 times less than gold), until the discovery of new world. The discovery of important silver deposits in South America have initiated his gradual decline towards gold. However the advent of photography using silver salts has restored its importance.
The electrum is a natural alloy of silver and gold. The coins said of silver contain between 40% and 95% of silver because it is necessary to add copper to the alloy to give it hardness.
The majority of jewelry manufactured in countries that control the silver title, is made of an alloy containing 92.5% of silver, called the “925/1000” and often “rhodium” meaning that is plated with a thin layer of rhodium in order to prevent the silver oxidation.
Silver objects are either 950/1000 called first title, or 800/1000, the second title.