The Precious Silver and Gold
Silver and gold are two of the most precious metals we use today. Silver and gold are known since old times. These metals are used in ornaments and jewelry even utensils.
Both silver and gold are known as malleable and ductile. With gold, garnering the top honors for being the most malleable and ductile. Both are resistant to corrosion and can be shaped into great works of art.
Being ductile, they can be made into fine wires. Their malleability can turn them into thin sheets. Gold can be made into wires thinner than hair and hammered into sheets so transparent that it transmits light. Silver and gold are important in electronics.
Jewelry makers depend on the size of the silver and gold nuggets given to them. The bigger the size, the bigger the object they can mold out of it and the more valuable it becomes. To make big objects, the metal needs to be melted and put into a mould. To melt silver and gold the temperature has to reach 1000 degrees Celsius or what they called "white heat".
Silver and gold are known as the currency metals because they were used as coins since the time money was invented.
Silver Explained
Silver is the white metal while gold is, of course, known for its familiar yellowish hue. Silver is often used for tableware hence the name 'silverware'. This was a predominant practiced in the past
Silver is resistant to corrosion but tarnished by any material that has sulphur. The tarnish can be removed by rubbing sodium bicarbonate paste to the item.
The weight of Silver and gold used to be measured in troy. One troy pound is equal to 12 troy ounces or 240 pennyweights (pwt). The prices of gold and silver are in dollars per troy ounce of .900 fine metal.
Purity of silver is also measured by carat just like gold. The pure metal is 24 carat. Those with 0.900 fine is equal to 21.6 carat. Sterling silver is equal to 22.2 carat.
Gold
Gold is considered the first metal discovered and considered precious by man. This is possible but evidence could not be furnished in this theory. Gold is rarer than copper and silver. Alchemists associate the gold with the sun because of its bright yellow color.
Gold's yellow is orange-yellow not cadmium yellow. Gold is used for the most valuable jewelries. God is among the heaviest metals, heavier than silver and lead. Gold is not only beautiful to look at, it is also useful due to its appreciating value.
