When it comes to precious metals, silver usually falls under gold in the desirability factor. This is because silver has been used in making fine jewellery, silverware, fine service wear and, of course, in creating coins for currency. These are just some of the uses that have been found for the precious metal known as a sliver. But where does silver actually come from? Well, like gold and most precious minerals, silver does come from the earth itself.

Silver, like other minerals such as copper and zinc, actually comes from a compound of sulphur known as sulphides; the process of creating silver and these other minerals happens deep within the earth crust, the saltwater from the ocean enters this area becomes something known as brime due to the high temperature that the water endures there. The brime can get up to a temperature as high as 350 degrees at the earth crust, so when re-entering the seafloor, a process starts within the brime.

When the hot brime makes contact with the cold temperature of the ocean and then starts to head to the surface, the metal compounds in the sulphides tend not to dissolve completely. This leads to the minerals, including sliver forming into solid composites. After these mineral composites, they then go back down to the ocean floor and settle into areas known as vents.

Unlike copper, lead and zinc, which are also formed in this way, sliver has more sulphide components within it when it’s formed. Mining for silver and other minerals usually takes place on the ocean floor in an area known as black smokers. The name black smokers were derived from the fact that the area has a dark black look that the areas of the ocean floor takes on where the minerals are found.