Concept in Definition ABC

Silver is a metal with certain characteristics: high electrical conductivity, high hardness and a shiny appearance. Its chemical symbol is Ag, its atomic number is 47, and its boiling point is 2212 degrees Celsius. His shortage in nature it makes it a very precious metal, especially in jewelery and goldsmithing. As a metal of great value it always occupies the second position with respect to the primacy of gold, which is It shows in the silver medal obtained by the second classified in some competitions sports We must not forget, on the other hand, that there is a market stock exchange of metals and raw materials, in which silver has a relevant role. Its recognition as a metal makes it equally valued in the field of numismatics.

Silver is more than just a metal

In the sphere of language silver appears in various expressions. In this sense, in Spanish it is said that the dog dances for money, implying that we are capable of anything for money. There are other curious expressions (a fleeing enemy, silver bridge, speaking in silver or the famous riddle, gold, it seems silver is not).

In some countries the word silver is used as a synonym for money (an Argentine or Uruguayan says that someone has a lot of money).

Its characteristic color (silver) is present in the description of gray hair (saying that someone has silver hair is a poetic way of referring to their hair or a figurative way of referring to the experience of a person). As for the color of this metal, it is worth remembering that a famous person from the literature, Platero, has this name because of the similarity of the color of a donkey's coat with the color silver.

The value of silver appears in some social commemorations (for example, at the silver anniversary of a marriage, which are celebrated 25 years from the date of the wedding).

From a historical point of view, silver has played a role in the economy of some countries (remember the silver mines of Potosí in present-day Bolivia, which were discovered coincidentally in the seventeenth century and which were key in the expansion of the Spanish empire during the period of colonization). In some biblical episodes, silver also has a certain role (Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver).

Finally, it is worth remembering that nation Argentina receives this name because Argentina comes from argentum, which is Latin for silver. When the Spanish conquered this region they baptized its main river with the name of Río de la Plata and with the passage of time the territory National ended up being called Argentina, the Rio de la Plata region.

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