Silver
Silver is found as crystals and usually occurs as massive or as thick wiry aggregates. Silver has been the most popular precious metal since ancient times. Silver mining is done only in a few countries like Mexico, Peru, Australia, China, Chile, Bolivia and Russia among others. It is used mainly as an Industrial byproduct in the world.
In medieval times, silver was more valuable than gold. It was the main metal used for money as coins, and for fine metal works. Today too, this precious metal is very expensive and is used as bullion, for investment, in jewellery and utensil making.
Metallic silver is used for silver plating in electronic and photographic industry.
Odisha’s famous filigree work is based on silver. Silver is useful because like gold it is also soft and easy to work with and is difficult to destroy. It is popular for business investment and as social security because it’s easy to store in big chunks and can be sold easily in difficult financial situations.
Now it has been scientifically proven by some doctors that silver is good for health too; something our forefathers always believed in and that is why eating and drinking in silver utensils was encouraged. A book entitled “The Most Precious Metal” by Dr. Gordon Pedersen, Medical Director of the Silver Health Institute, and co-authored by Dr. Bryan Frank, has almost surprised everyone in the Western world as they describe in 90 pages how silver helps to fight germs and is good for health. Silver is ingrained in the psyche of Indians with the precious metal being used in religious ceremonies, festivals, weddings and many other cultural events.
Even the name of the Indian currency ‘Rupee’ is derived from the Sanskrit word for silver, which is ‘Rupya’.
In India, foods can be found decorated with a thin layer of silver, known as ‘Varak.’
Silver in India is valued next only to gold for making ornaments due to its softness and attractive white colour. It had been an important currency metal in several parts of the world. It is also used in the manufacture of chemicals, electroplating, photography and for colouring glass, etc.
It is found mixed with several other metals such as copper, lead, gold, zinc, etc. India is not a major producer of silver. Our major production comes from Zawar mines in Udaipur district of Rajasthan. Here, silver is obtained as a by-product during the concentration and smelting of galena ore in Hindustan Zinc Smelter. The silver content varies from 171.4 gm to 774.5 gm per tonne of zinc and lead concentrates respectively.
The Tundoo Lead Smelter in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand is another important producer of silver as a by-product of lead. Some silver is produced by Kolar Gold Fields and Hutti gold mines in Karnataka during refining of gold. The Hindustan Copper Ltd. at Maubhandar smelter in Singhbhum district of Jharkhand obtains silver from copper slimes. Silver is also produced by Vizag Zinc smelter in Andhra Pradesh from the lead concentrates. Traces of silver also occur in Hazaribag, Palamu, Ranchi and Singhbhum districts of Jharkhand; Cuddapah, Guntur and Kumool districts of Andhra Pradesh; Vadodara in Gujarat, Bellary district of Karnataka, Baramula.
