Silver is a metal that has been highly regarded by empires for thousands of years. It is a chemical element which means that it cannot be split into any other chemical substance. It's chemical symbol is Ag (from the Latin Argentum).

As we all remember from our school physics lessons (ahem) the properties of a metal element are that it is sonorous: gives off a sound when struck, ductile: can be stretched into lengths, and malleable: can be bent to different shapes. Silver's ability to reflect brightly makes it an excellent material for jewellery and cutlery. However, its softness is too great for it to last for long as a cutting material so you will find that cutlery for sale on this web site will have stainless steel knife blades. The handles will be the parts made from silver, or plated with a generous coating of silver (EPNS: electro plated nickel silver).

Silver is a metal that is traded worldwide as a commodity. 2006 statistics show that is traded to the extent of £34 billion per day (US$60 billion). The latest silver bullion price may be viewed from Kitco here - Kitco.com Silver Bullion Price. It is a metal with a roller-coaster valuation graph that can give opportunities to make, or lose, big sums of money for investors.

Here are some interesting facts on, and uses for silver that you may not have known.

• Silver nitrate and silver bromide are used in the manufacture of photographic film.
• Silver has excellent electrical conductivity being used on circuit boards and high voltage connectors and as part of the alloy that forms solder
• Silver alloys are used in dental fillings, a very safe and durable material for constant contact with such a busy part of the human body
• Elastoplast has made a plaster with silver nanoparticles which are believed by scientists to be antibacterial due to an ability to disrupt enzymes in bacteria.
• Silver zinc and silver cadmium are two types of high capacity batteries
• Silver is not generally used for coins because it is now far too expensive a metal. Nickel silver is now used, an allow which has no silver in it but which is actually a compound of nickel, zinc and copper
• Silver can be used to back mirrors owing to its being an extremely efficient reflector of light, despite its tendency to tarnish on exposure to the air
• The Lone Ranger's bullets were made of silver (or so the masked man claimed), and his horse was called Silver
• Silver is a sure fire weapon to be used against werewolves. If ever you see one, make sure you have some handy   ;-)

To check the latest prices of silver cutlery for sale on our site, please visit our Showroom or see individual item prices at our Loose Items page.