Gold-Silver Series

A series between Gold and Silver

Gold and silver have the same crystal structure and the atoms in the structure can either be gold or silver. When gold predominates (Au,Ag) one has the mineral species gold (native gold) and when silver predominates (Ag,Au) one has silver (native silver). The fact is that gold and silver - the elements - do combine in the mineral state, forming a complete miscibility series between the two. The variety electrum has about 60% gold atoms and 40% silver atoms. Rarely the pure end members are found.