An initiative by:
Contemporary British Silversmiths
(click here to find out more about Contemporary British Silversmiths)

Did you know…

Traditionally, surgical equipment was made from silver because of its antibacterial properties Cupellation – a technique for testing the purity of silver – dates back to pre-Roman times

In popular folklore, silver is supposed to ward off enchantment – hence the use of silver bullets

The term ‘sterling’ originates from the name of an English silver penny of the 11th century

Silver is rarely found in its ‘native’ or pure state in the ground, unlike copper or gold which were first exploited by early societies

The earliest known coins were made from electrum – a mixture of gold and silver – in the 7th century BC

In Norse and Celtic legend smiths are associated with magical powers and great cunning, making powerful weapons for the gods.

Silver has a boiling point of 2162°C

The chemical symbol for silver is Ag, from its Latin name, Argentum which in turn derives from the Sanskrit word ‘Argunas’, which means ‘shiny’

Silver is exceptionally shiny and is the most reflective element, making it useful in the manufacture of mirrors, telescopes and solar cells

The transitional lenses in your eye glasses are made with silver haloid.

These lenses can block 97% of the damaging ultra violet rays from sunlight

Silver is not toxic to humans. In fact, it can be used as a food decoration and is also germicidal, meaning it kills bacteria and other lower organisms

By the 19th Century, sailors had discovered that placing silver coins into the barrels of water and wine that they carried, would keep these perishable commodities pure from contamination from bacteria

The largest known sculpture created using the silversmithing techniques of chasing and repousse is the Statue of Liberty in New York

#silverspeaks