What Is Silver?

Silver is a precious metal (along with gold, platinum and palladium) used in coins, bullion, jewellery and high-value tableware. It is also a key material in solar cells, water filtration, electrical contacts and high-quality glass. It has the highest thermal and electrical conductivity of any metal. Silver is highly resistant to corrosion and oxidation.

Silver combines easily with a wide range of other materials to form useful compounds. Some of the most common are silver chloride (AgCl), silver bromide (AgBr) and silver iodide (AgI). Silver iodide is also used in cloud seeding for artificial rainmaking and silver nitrate (AgNO3) is the starting material for the production of silver cyanide used to plate industrial goods.

The most important single industrial use of silver is photography, where it is used in the silver nitrate form to make photographic plates. Silver is also an essential component in many electrical products, including printed circuit boards and battery terminals. It is a key ingredient in soldering alloys and is used to make long-lasting, high-capacity batteries made from silver-zinc or silver-cadmium alloys.

Long-term exposure to silver dust or silver compounds may cause a condition called argyria in which the skin, eyes and throat become permanently blue-gray. This is mostly a cosmetic effect but can be distressing for patients. Laboratory tests can measure the amount of silver in blood, urine or feces to help identify exposure. Ingesting silver in the form of medicines can also irritate the stomach.