Industrial Demand For Silver Spirals Upward, Despite Faltering Economies

Posted on February 22, 2012 by GSM

According to the Silver Institute, demand for silver used in industrial production is projected to approach 40 percent in the years spanning 2010 to 2015. Positive industrial fundamentals are cited for physical silver, due to a relatively stable market that is both established and emerging in developed economies.

Continued silver demand for fabrication purposes is likely to prolong its surge, since silver has no equal for the industrial processes in which it is consumed. Photovoltaics and electronics are two of the largest, continually increasing uses for silver. Growth in global middle classes secures the desire for electronic products, considered virtual necessities in most developed countries.

Substitution of cheaper silver for other expensive technological metals, like palladium and platinum is another positive impetus for future silver valuation. The search for silver substitutes appears unlikely to produce scientifically adequate or economically feasible substitutes.

Robust growth for other fabrication applications for silver appears likely. These uses include medical applications, batteries, and water purification technology. The only real downside risk for silver appears to be lagging economic growth, but history shows that physical silver typically rebounds rapidly after such fiscal downturns.

http://silverinvestingnews.com/10299/industrial-demand-strong-support-for-silver.html

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Silver Is At Least “As Good As Gold” For Crisis Investing

Posted on February 20, 2012 by GSM

Gold has long been known as a superior method of capital preservation when high inflation results from the devaluation of fiat currencies. Inflation looms large in current economic conditions, as governments wind up their printing presses to produce enough currency to stem the tide of bad economic news. Printing money is, however, only a temporary solution for the world’s fiscal woes.

Gold bugs maintain that silver will never perform as well as gold during world financial upheaval, but gold’s little brother has shown us that this is not necessarily so. Silver’s dual usage as both monetary metal and industrial raw material, although often driving the white metal’s volatility, could prove to be the salvation of silver investors, particularly in extremely difficult periods of currency inflation.

Less cash buys greater amounts of physical silver, which are easily liquidated for transactions of any size. Silver has always comprised the circulating monetary medium of choice. Silver purchasing by those who cannot afford gold could rocket silver to greater percentage highs, as average investors seek to preserve their socio-economic positions.

http://www.cmi-gold–silver.com/gold-is-not-the-only-salvation.html

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Physical Properties of Silver

Posted on February 19, 2012 by GSM

Silver, a chemical element, is one of the most malleable metals, along with gold. Advantages that silver has over any other metal is that is is very electrically conductive, and also has high heat conductivity. Silver, which is a brilliant white lustrous sheen when in its purest state, is also very ductile. Because silver is much stronger than gold, most gold jewelry in modern times is actually an alloy, or mix, of gold and silver. At normal room temperature it is in a solid state.

Silver is also one of the most precious metals available on the market today; alongside gold, platinum, palladium, and a few others. This brilliantly shining precious metal has forever been a part of status, and uses ranged anywhere from domestic utensils such as bowls, cups, and cutlery, to furniture, lighting fixtures, and other household items. One of the most popular uses a hundred or so years ago, was silver coinage. North America has some of the most dense silver mines in the world, and as a result, thousands of tons were mined for the sole purpose of creating coined currency.

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Where Does Silver Come From?

Posted on February 16, 2012 by GSM

Silver (identified by the symbol Ag on the Periodic Table of Elements, from the Latin argentum) is a metal typically found in mountainous regions where it is mined from the earth. Several major mines are found in South America, particularly in the Andes Mountains of Argentina and Peru, although it can commonly be found in many different countries. The United States is one such country. The Gold Rush of the mid-19th century is a famous event in American history, but Silver also played a large role in the settlement of the west and resulted in several rushes of its own in some states such as Colorado and Nevada. Today the United States is still the leader of silver consumption, though not production. While it is possible to find nuggets of pure silver this is extremely rare, more commonly it is found in a chemical combination with other elements like antimony, arsenic and sulfur. The most common combinations with silver are copper, lead and zinc. Worldwide 18,000 metric tons of silver is mined each year. Currently Mexico is the largest producer of silver in the world.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_mining

http://www.quotesilver.com/silver-origin.html

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