The Story of Silver
Updated: Nov 12, 2020
Gold is the money of kings, silver is the money of gentlemen, barter is the money of peasants – but debt is the money of slaves
Norm Franz
No body cares about bronze or silver medals
Buzz Aldrin
The silver bullet......
The silver swan.....
Silver has had a very roller coaster ride when it comes to how civilizations, both ancient and now, have valued it, it has always played second fiddle to gold but in researching the metal silver, I think it has been under-estimated both in terms of its diverse uses in products and in its intrinsic value. Even more, modern society has been grossly negligent in under valuing its immense virtue as a major ingredient in medical applications.
In ancient times, silver had a greater value than it has today, its malleability and durability properties, lent to its widespread use as money, art, and jewellery. It was considered a noble "white" gold as it always stayed shiny and never rusted. Silver also has unique anti-microbial properties which was known and understood by ancient peoples. They did not have modern medical and biological knowledge, they simply observed, for example that:
wine stored in silver vessels stayed drinkable for longer
silver coins dropped in water containers kept the water safe from bacteria and algae
silver powders were applied to wounds because it prevented blood poisoning
at the outbreak of the plague, the aristocracy were saved from the full force of the disease as they were eating food with silver knives and forks,
In India, the practice of using silver for medicinal purposes goes back 5000 years but the QUALITY of the silver is paramount.
Classics of alchemy says that, samples of silver (Rajata) which are clear, lustrous (Swachha), heavy (Guru), and with metallic sheen (Snigdham), and which also become bright white on heating or cutting (Dahe Chede Samaprabham), without any ridges or furrows (Sphota rahitam), is genuine, and can be considered acceptable for therapeutic purposes.
Such high quality silver has antiseptic, antibacterial and disinfectant properties and so it was used in all rejuvenative therapies such as increasing strength and stamina, and preventive therapies such as making silver containers in which water is carried to keep it clean, using it on open wounds to prevent blood poisoning. Silver is also a major metal for making surgical instruments.
In the modern world, since 2015 the respect for silver as well as its uses has increased 100 fold. It is a vital metal in electronic products as computers and cellphones, it is used in solar and nuclear energy production, it has also used in finance for the production of coins and as an investment metal.
Perhaps the most amazing use of silver is by NASA which brings the ancient peoples uses of silver in water purification bang up to date:
Silver will be used in two functions that will provide Shuttle crews with pure water for drinking, air conditioning, food preparation and other operations
Silver has been a part of my life not just as a metal in lots of jewellery pieces but as a metal which has been in my grandmother's drinking water pot, It was used as a "filling" by my grandfather's dentist but in doing research for this article, there are so many more qualities which, till now, are only known to those "in the know" but this is about to change...
Credit & Talent Thank you to all the talent below which made this post so good! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3131772/
https://blog.brilliance.com/jewelry/the-health-benefits-of-wearing-silver-jewelry
https://geology.com/articles/uses-of-silver/
https://thesilveredge.com/sitearticles/nasa.shtml
Images 1 - silver bullion bars - Walter Freudling from Pixabay
Image 2 - my own video - I am so clever!!
#silver #sterlingSilver #silverJewellery #silverBullion #medicalSilver #ayurvedaSilver