Much more silver than gold has been mined, more than 1,740,000 metric tons from the earth.
The amount of silver that has been mined would form a cube 180 feet (55 m) high on each side.
Most of the world’s silver comes from Mexico and Peru.
Silver has been used for thousands of years to make ornaments and utensils, for trade, and as a precious metal in many monetary systems.
In its natural form, silver is commonly found as an alloy with gold, and in ores containing sulfur, arsenic, antimony or chlorine.
Silver, in the form of a gold-silver alloy, was used to produce money around 700 BC by the Lydians.
In ancient Greece and Rome, silver was used to prevent infection.
Its use as an antibacterial agent was rediscovered in the Middle Ages, where it was used to disinfect food and water for storage, and also for the treatment of burns and wounds as wound dressing.
