Saturday, February 4, 2012

Silver, Silver, Silver

For my Silver Series I've done a lot of research about silver. I was amazed at how many different ways in which we use silver. It is used for jewelry, vases, armor, eating utensils, and mirrors. Silversmiths use the metal at room temperature working with gentle strikes of a hammer to shape it to the desired form.

Silver has been used as currency for millennia. Archaeological evidence has shown that it was being separated from lead as far back as 6,000 years ago. The most well known use of it as currency is described in the Bible. Judas is infamous for taking thirty silver coins to turn Jesus Christ over to the Romans.

Silver has the highest thermal and electrical conductivity of all metals. Its properties allow it to provoke or speed up chemical reactions. For instance, during long sea voyages throughout the ages, sailors would place silver coins in barrels of water and wine to keep the liquid drinkable, and pioneers crossing the Great Plains used the same idea.

It’s also used in topical gels and bandages due to its anti-microbial properties, as well as a disinfectant. Finally, the ionized form of silver forms strong, molecular bonds with some substances used by bacteria to breathe…in effect suffocating and quickly killing it.

This might be more than you wanted to know about silver but its properties are key to its destructive capabilities towards demons.

1 comment:

Stormi said...

Interesting post! :)