Silver is widely considered a material by most people. There is something to wear, there's something to sell, and there's something to polish and put back in the drawer. However, the story of silver is longer and stranger than that. It has been money, medicine, a symbol of divine power, and a catalyst for whole economies. Silver is not a new material for making jewelry. It dates back longer than most people will think.

Silver Has Been Around for a Very Long Time

The earliest silver objects are from approximately 4000 BCE and are from Turkey and Greece. The Ancient Egyptians valued silver more than gold and used it in the royal burials. The Greeks named it "argyros," which is related to the moon and to purity.

In these early civilizations, silver was not only used to decorate people. It was functional. Individuals put food and water in silver containers as they determined that it would preserve food and water for a longer period of time. At the time, they couldn't explain why. We know now that it is because of silver's natural antimicrobial properties, which kill bacteria on contact.

The Americas Changed Everything

Silver had been mined for centuries, but in small quantities. It was until the 1500s that large deposits in Mexico and Bolivia were found by the Spanish colonists. The Potosi mines, alone, are estimated to have yielded about 60,000 tons of silver from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

This abundance of silver changed the course of trade throughout the world. It paid for empires, caused inflation in Europe, and established trade routes between continents for the first time. Not only did Silver move from market to market. It built them.

Why Silver Stayed Relevant

If paper money had been in circulation, silver might have been forgotten. It did not. The metal continued to be used in all sorts of new ways:

• Electronics and technology: Silver is a better conductor of electricity than any other metal, so it is used in phones, circuit boards, and batteries.
• Medicine: Silver-coated dressings and tools are used in hospitals due to their natural antimicrobial properties.
• The solar energy silver paste is essential in most of the solar panels that are manufactured these days.
• Silver work, the art of artisans in Jaipur, Istanbul, and Mexico City, continues to be made by hand and has been transmitted from one generation to the next.
  
  

It's not a coincidence that that has remained. Silver, with its price range that seems just right but not too low, complements nearly any gemstone and ages to tell a tale.

What This Means for Buyers Today

Whether you're developing a jewelry brand or running a retail shop, an awareness of the history of silver can give you an advantage. It's not a sale of a product. You're selling a thing that has been around for thousands of years and has a lot of human attachment. In practice, this translates to the following:

• Product descriptions that include historical or cultural context provide a more meaningful link between the product and customers.
• Across virtually all cultures around the world, silver rings are imbued with an inherent emotional significance.
• Craft-inspired designs are distinct from catalog designs in general.
• Silver is one of the strongest; if there is a story to tell, more and more buyers are being drawn to materials with one.
  
  

At Kesardeep, we partner with artisans in Jaipur who continue these practices whilst fulfilling today's retailers' quality requirements.

Conclusion

Few materials have remained useful and meaningful for thousands of years, and among them is silver. It is in the tools we use, the habits we have, and our own experiences. That expertise is no background for anybody in the jewelry business. It's one of the reasons that customers return.

You might be creating a line of custom jewelry or just adding more to your inventory, but the story of silver is all a part of what you're selling. That's something to know!