Who Discovered Silver?

Silver objects have been found by archaeologists in Egypt dating back to 6000 B. C. The drawings on the walls in some pyramids show men extracting metals from ore, most likely silver.

Silver is rather easy to extract from its ores, so once it was discovered, it was easy to work with and therefore, was used for many things.

Silver was described in writings from India dating around 900 B. C. The word “silver” dates back to at least the 12th century. It derives from an Old English word “seolfor,” but its Latin name is “argentum.” This probably came from the Greek, “argos,” a word used to describe silver as “shiny” or “white.”

Uses for Silver

Whoever discovered silver soon found out that this precious metal has many uses:

Since it is soft, it can easily be made in to thin layers or rolled to make wire.
It is also a very good conductor of electricity and heat.
It is even used to generate electricity. It reflects the sun’s heat onto tubes which in turn heat water. That heated water turns to steam and powers generators to produce electricity.
It is shiny, which makes it great for jewelry and decorations. Silver is too soft to be used in jewelry without being mixed with other metals, often gold.
Silver is used to make batteries. It is also a major component in photovoltaic cells used to collect the sun’s energy.
It can be used to reflect light.
Silver is also used to coat CDs and DVDs.
It is used in the production of electronics, water purification, and solar energy.
Silver can replace harsh chemicals in water purification.
Silver can prevent the formation of algae and destroy bacteria, which may have future medical applications.

Silver and Photographs

There would be no photographs without silver. Film is covered with silver ions. These combine with electrons in light and that causes them to turn back into atoms. Since silver atoms are black, the film turns black wherever light hits a silver ion, hence a “negative” is made.

Silver Alloys

Sterling silver, which has been around since the 14th century, is an alloy of copper and silver.

Silver alloys are also used as the cathode (negative side) in batteries. You may be familiar with the small batteries in watches, toys, and hearing aids, which are about one-third silver.

Facts About Silver

Silver's symbol is Ag and it is number 47 on the periodic chart of elements.
Silver is found all over the world, even in seawater. In the United States, there are silver mines in 16 states. Most of the silver comes from Nevada, Arizona, and Idaho.
Silver sulfide appears as tarnish on objects made of silver or plated with silver.

Silver Rush in the United States

Silver was discovered in Nevada in 1859, and was called the Comstock Lode. This was a monumental find, which had both silver and gold in it. The Comstock Lode was named after Henry T. P. Comstock.

It was discovered near Virginia City Nevada, and made the U.S. produce more silver than anyone in the world, up until the 20th century. This marked the first time silver was found in the U.S.

Not only did the discovery of silver make a lot of people rich, but it also aided in the continued settlement of the West. For example, the Virginia & Truckee Railroad was built, which helped with the development of San Francisco.

Out of a group of men who found the silver and gold ore, all died except Comstock. He had been left in charge of the ore samples and legal papers. When he heard of a strike close by, which found blue-colored rock, he know that was silver ore and he immediately filed a claim for adjacent lands.

The rest, as they say, is history.