Did you know that silver is used in the treatment of smelly sock syndrome? Silver, the champion multi-tasker of the metal world, inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi. Silver's nanoparticles are surreptitiously integrated into the polymer from which yarns are made by coating the yarns with silver. How clever. No wonder those anti-foul-smell socks cost a little extra.
In terms of silver's versatility, that's not all, folks. Silver's chemical symbol is Ag, right? Well Ag, an abbreviation of the Latin word argentum, which in turn has its roots in the word arg,' means shining.' An aesthetic reference word such as shining', especially when bestowed by the otherwise austere scientific community, must truly mean that silver emits, radiates, beams in an awe-inspiring shine. It does.
Silver's brilliant white metallic lustre can take a high level of shine gargantuan, even. That is why proud home owners invest in superior quality, genuine silver furnishings to decorate their houses. "If you put in the elbow grease," silver would say to us if it could speak, "I'll see to it that your guests need to put on their sunglasses to look at me directly."
Genuine silver is easy to identify. Though it cannot speak, it can identify itself with the marking 925. Only an alloy consisting of at least 92.5% fine silver can be marketed as "silver." This is why your silver candlesticks, platters, etc., are stamped 925. If they are not, you may want to return to the person who sold them to you and have a few words. Silver should be appreciated the way silversmiths appreciate it, not ripped off by maverick tradesmen.
Silversmiths, understanding the needs of the metal they work with, use small precision tools and gentle strokes to shape silver into designs. This process is in stark contrast to blacksmiths, who shape metal when it is red hot by whacking and banging and thumping big and whacky tools against the metal. If Metallica, pardon the pun, was the soundtrack blacksmiths listen to when working, Beethoven would be Silversmith's. Silversmithery is a finer, gentler art, which is why its products are as fine and refined as delicate silver bracelets or sparkling silver rings .
