Silver

Silver is a chemical element listed in the periodic table with the symbol Ag (lat. Argentum). The precious metal has the atomic number 47 and is counted in the series of transition metals. It is readily malleable, yet can be formed into a very strong and durable shape, which qualifies it as one of the most commonly used materials in jewellery making. In addition to the properties that make it a flexible material, this is also due to its handsome bright appearance, which makes beautiful jewellery possible. Silver has the highest conductivity of all known elements and among the metals also the highest value of thermal conductivity. Silver is extracted from silver ores, lead ores and copper ores. The shiny white precious metal is rarely processed into jewellery as pure silver; the numerous alloys are used more frequently. The most important alloys are copper-silver alloys, which make the silver harder but at the same time not brittle. The fineness of the silver represented in the alloy is decisive for the classification of the material. 800, 835, 925 or 935 silver are the known alloys, where the number indicates the fineness in thousandths of a part of silver. This means that in the best-known silver, 925 silver, also called sterling silver, 92.5% pure silver is represented.