Log InRegister
Quick Links : The Mindat ManualThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryMindat Newsletter [Free Download]
Home PageAbout MindatThe Mindat ManualHistory of MindatCopyright StatusWho We AreContact UsAdvertise on Mindat
Donate to MindatCorporate SponsorshipSponsor a PageSponsored PagesMindat AdvertisersAdvertise on Mindat
Learning CenterWhat is a mineral?The most common minerals on earthInformation for EducatorsMindat ArticlesThe ElementsThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryGeologic Time
Minerals by PropertiesMinerals by ChemistryAdvanced Locality SearchRandom MineralRandom LocalitySearch by minIDLocalities Near MeSearch ArticlesSearch GlossaryMore Search Options
Search For:
Mineral Name:
Locality Name:
Keyword(s):
 
The Mindat ManualAdd a New PhotoRate PhotosLocality Edit ReportCoordinate Completion ReportAdd Glossary Item
Mining CompaniesStatisticsUsersMineral MuseumsClubs & OrganizationsMineral Shows & EventsThe Mindat DirectoryDevice SettingsThe Mineral Quiz
Photo SearchPhoto GalleriesSearch by ColorNew Photos TodayNew Photos YesterdayMembers' Photo GalleriesPast Photo of the Day GalleryPhotography

Silver

A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
This page kindly sponsored by Andrew Debnam
Hide all sections | Show all sections

About SilverHide

Formula:
Ag
Colour:
Silver-white, tarnishes dark gray to black
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
2½ - 3
Specific Gravity:
10.1 - 11.1
Crystal System:
Isometric
Member of:
Name:
An Old English word "seolfor" whose original meaning is now lost. The current spelling "silver" was known as early as 1478. Known in ancient Roman times as argentum. The chemical element abbreviation Ag comes from argentum.
Copper Group. Gold-Silver Series and Palladium-Silver Series.

Silver is used in jewelry, tableware, coins, scientific equipment and in photographic processes. Silver tarnishes black with a surface layer of acanthite (silver sulphide), especially when placed in proximity to sulphurous compounds. It is primarily found as a constituent of hydrothermal veins. It is often found associated with copper. Unlike gold, it is soluble in any oxidizing mineral acid.


Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
3664
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3664:7
GUID
(UUID V4):
0910ff89-41ae-45aa-aafc-6ddef1dc027e

IMA Classification of SilverHide

Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)

Classification of SilverHide

1.AA.05

1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
A : Metals and Intermetallic Alloys
A : Copper-cupalite family
Dana 7th ed.:
1.1.1.2
1.1.1.2

1 : NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS
1 : Metals, other than the Platinum Group
1.2

1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.

SymbolSourceReference
AgIMA–CNMNCWarr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43
AgThe Canadian Mineralogist (2019)The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download

Pronunciation of SilverHide

Pronunciation:
PlayRecorded byCountry
Jolyon RalphUnited Kingdom

Physical Properties of SilverHide

Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Silver-white, tarnishes dark gray to black
Streak:
Silver white
Hardness:
2½ - 3 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN100=61 - 65 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Hardness Data:
Measured
Tenacity:
Malleable
Cleavage:
None Observed
None
Fracture:
None observed
Density:
10.1 - 11.1 g/cm3 (Measured)    10.497 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of SilverHide

Reflectivity:
WavelengthR1R2
400nm83.4%81.0%
420nm84.5%82.0%
440nm86.0%83.5%
460nm87.7%85.3%
470nm88.4%86.0%
480nm89.1%86.8%
500nm90.5%88.2%
520nm91.8%89.7%
540nm93.0%91.1%
546nm93.4%91.5%
560nm93.5%91.6%
580nm93.7%91.8%
589nm93.9%91.9%
600nm94.0%92.0%
620nm94.4%92.4%
640nm94.7%92.8%
650nm94.9%93.0%
660nm95.2%93.3%
680nm95.6%93.9%
700nm96.0%94.3%

Reflectance graph
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Top of box is 100%. Peak reflectance is 96.0%.
R1 shown in black, R2 shown in red
Colour in reflected light:
brilliant silver white
Internal Reflections:
none
Pleochroism:
Non-pleochroic
Comments:
Reflectivity data from Criddle & Stanley (1993).

Chemistry of SilverHide

Mindat Formula:
Ag
Common Impurities:
Au,Hg,Cu,Sb,Bi

Crystallography of SilverHide

Crystal System:
Isometric
Class (H-M):
m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group:
Fm3m
Cell Parameters:
a = 4.0862 Å
Unit Cell V:
68.23 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Crystals are cubic, octahedral, dodecahedral to a cm. Often elongated to many cms in herringbone twins and wires (crystals elongated along the [111] axis).
Twinning:
Penetration twins on (111) with cubes from Kongsberg and tetrahexahedrons from Michigan (bearpaws). Arborescent growths twinned on (100) and on (111).

Crystallographic forms of SilverHide

Crystal Atlas:
Image Loading
Click on an icon to view
Silver no.1 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Silver no.2 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Silver no.4 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by www.smorf.nl.

Toggle
Edge Lines | Miller Indices | Axes

Transparency
Opaque | Translucent | Transparent

View
Along a-axis | Along b-axis | Along c-axis | Start rotation | Stop rotation

Crystal StructureHide

Load
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Show
Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
Polyhedra Off | Si Polyhedra | All Polyhedra
Remove metal-metal sticks
Display Options
Black Background | White Background
Perspective On | Perspective Off
2D | Stereo | Red-Blue | Red-Cyan
View
CIF File    Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
Rotation
Stop | Start
Labels
Console Off | On | Grey | Yellow
IDSpeciesReferenceLinkYearLocalityPressure (GPa)Temp (K)
0011135SilverWyckoff R W G (1963) Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York Cubic closest packed, ccp, structure Crystal Structures 1 7-8319630293
0018574SilverNovgorodova M I, Gorshkov A I, Mokhov A V (1981) Native silver and its new structural modifications International Geology Review 23 485-4941981northeast USSR0293
0018575SilverNovgorodova M I, Gorshkov A I, Mokhov A V (1981) Native silver and its new structural modifications International Geology Review 23 485-4941981northeast USSR0293
0018576SilverNovgorodova M I, Gorshkov A I, Mokhov A V (1981) Native silver and its new structural modifications International Geology Review 23 485-4941981northeast USSR0293
0012936SilverJette E R, Foote F (1935) Precision determination of lattice constants Journal of Chemical Physics 3 605-6161935synthetic0298
0013118SilverSuh I-K, Ohta H, Waseda Y (1988) High-temperature thermal expansion of six metallic elements measured by dilatation method and X-ray diffraction Journal of Materials Science 23 757-7601988synthetic0293
0013119SilverSuh I-K, Ohta H, Waseda Y (1988) High-temperature thermal expansion of six metallic elements measured by dilatation method and X-ray diffraction Journal of Materials Science 23 757-7601988synthetic0576
0013120SilverSuh I-K, Ohta H, Waseda Y (1988) High-temperature thermal expansion of six metallic elements measured by dilatation method and X-ray diffraction Journal of Materials Science 23 757-7601988synthetic0671
0013121SilverSuh I-K, Ohta H, Waseda Y (1988) High-temperature thermal expansion of six metallic elements measured by dilatation method and X-ray diffraction Journal of Materials Science 23 757-7601988synthetic0774
0013122SilverSuh I-K, Ohta H, Waseda Y (1988) High-temperature thermal expansion of six metallic elements measured by dilatation method and X-ray diffraction Journal of Materials Science 23 757-7601988synthetic0875
0013123SilverSuh I-K, Ohta H, Waseda Y (1988) High-temperature thermal expansion of six metallic elements measured by dilatation method and X-ray diffraction Journal of Materials Science 23 757-7601988synthetic0975
0013124SilverSuh I-K, Ohta H, Waseda Y (1988) High-temperature thermal expansion of six metallic elements measured by dilatation method and X-ray diffraction Journal of Materials Science 23 757-7601988synthetic01076
0013125SilverSuh I-K, Ohta H, Waseda Y (1988) High-temperature thermal expansion of six metallic elements measured by dilatation method and X-ray diffraction Journal of Materials Science 23 757-7601988synthetic01174
0013126SilverSuh I-K, Ohta H, Waseda Y (1988) High-temperature thermal expansion of six metallic elements measured by dilatation method and X-ray diffraction Journal of Materials Science 23 757-7601988synthetic01228
0018275SilverSpreadborough J, Christian J (1959) High-temperature X-ray diffractometer _cod_database_code 1100136 Journal of Scientific Instruments 36 116-11819590293
0014951SilverOwen E A, Yates E L (1933) Precision measurements of crystal parameters Philosophical Magazine 15 472-4881933synthetic0291
0015126SilverDavey W P (1925) Lattice constants of twelve common metals Physical Review 25 753-7611925synthetic0293
0015127SilverDavey W P (1925) Lattice constants of twelve common metals Physical Review 25 753-7611925synthetic0293
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
Epitaxi Comments:
Mixtures with Ag on Cu and more rarely Cu on Ag. The face centred lattice is continuous between the two minerals.
Wires with black Acanthite crystals and coating form by continuing the face centred cubic silver between the minerals.

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacingIntensity
2.359 Å(100)
2.044 Å(40)
1.231 Å(26)
1.445 Å(25)
0.9375 Å(15)
1.8341 Å(13)
0.9137 Å(12)

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic ModeEarliest Age (Ga)
Stage 3a: Earth’s earliest Hadean crust>4.50
7 : Ultramafic igneous rocks
High-𝑇 alteration and/or metamorphism
33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12])
Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks>3.0
36 : Carbonatites, kimberlites, and related igneous rocks
Stage 5: Initiation of plate tectonics<3.5-2.5
38 : Ophiolites
Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event<2.4
47h : [Near-surface oxidized, dehydrated minerals]
Geological Setting:
1) Primary hydrothermal veins
2) Secondary enrichment
3) Alluvial nuggets

Synonyms of SilverHide

Other Language Names for SilverHide

Afrikaans:Silwer
Albanian:Argjendi
Amharic:ብር
Arabic:فضة
Armenian:Արծաթ
Asturian:Plata
Azeri:Gümüş
Basque:Zilar
Belarusian:Серабро
Bengali:রূপা
Bishnupriya Manipuri:প্রাটা
Bosnian:Srebro
Bulgarian:Сребро
Catalan:Plata
Cebuano:Silver
Chuvash:Кĕмĕл
Corsican:Argentu
Croatian:Srebro
Czech:Stříbro
Danish:Sølv
Dutch:Zilver
Erzya:Сия
Esperanto:Arĝento
Estonian:Hõbe
Farsi/Persian:نقره
Finnish:Hopea
French:Argent
Friulian:Arint
Galician:Prata
Guarani:Itatĩ
Haitian:Ajan
Hakka:Ngiùn
Hebrew:כסף
Hungarian:Ezüst
Icelandic:Silfur
Indonesian:Perak
Irish Gaelic:Airgead
Italian:Argento
Japanese:自然 銀
Javanese:Perak
Kapampangan:Pilak
Korean:
Kurdish (Latin Script):Zîv
Latin:Argentum
Latvian:Sudrabs
Limburgian:Zèlver
Lithuanian:Sidabras
Lojban:Rijno
Low Saxon/Low German:Sülver
Luxembourgish:Sëlwer
Malay:Perak
Manx:Argid
Maori:Kawata
Min Nan:Ag
Norman:Ergent
Norwegian:Sølv
Norwegian (Nynorsk):Sølv
Occitan:Argent
Polish:Srebro
Portuguese:Prata
Ripuarian:Silber
Romanian:Argint
Scottish Gaelic:Airgead
Serbian:Сребро
Serbo-Croatian:Srebro
Sicilian:Argentu
Simplified Chinese:自然银
Slovak:Striebro
Slovenian:Srebro
Spanish:Plata
Swahili:Agenti
Tajik (Cyrillic Script):Нуқра
Tatar:Kömeş
Traditional Chinese:自然銀
Turkish:Gümüş
Ukrainian:Срібло
Uzbek (Latin Script):Kumush
Venetian:Arxento
Vietnamese:Bạc
Welsh:Arian
Yiddish:זילבער
Zhuang:Ngaenz
Zulu:Isiliva

Varieties of SilverHide

Antimonial Silver
Antimony-bearing SilverA variety of silver containing up to about 5% of antimony.
ArqueriteA variety of silver containing 13% of mercury, applied to the malleable "amalgam" described by I. Domeyko (1841).

Originally described from Arqueros Ag Mining District, La Serena, Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile.
Arsenic-bearing SilverA variety of silver containing up to about 7% of arsenic.
ChileniteBismuth-bearing variety of Silver.
CuproarqueriteVariety of Amalgam containing copper.
Gold-bearing SilverA gold-bearing variety of silver.
Compare electrum.
KongsbergiteA variety of silver with about 5% Hg.
Compare native amalgam and arquerite.

KüsteliteGold-Silver Series . A variety of silver defined as containing 10% - 30% of Gold.
Native AmalgamA Hg-bearing variety of silver. Compare kongsbergite and arquerite.
See also amalgam.

Relationship of Silver to other SpeciesHide

Member of:
Other Members of this group:
CopperCuIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
GoldAuIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
MaldoniteAu2BiIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fd3m
Forms a series with:

Common AssociatesHide

Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
1,212 photos of Silver associated with AcanthiteAg2S
975 photos of Silver associated with CalciteCaCO3
653 photos of Silver associated with CopperCu
545 photos of Silver associated with QuartzSiO2
197 photos of Silver associated with ArsenicAs
172 photos of Silver associated with GalenaPbS
158 photos of Silver associated with BorniteCu5FeS4
154 photos of Silver associated with CupriteCu2O
146 photos of Silver associated with DyscrasiteAg3Sb
140 photos of Silver associated with Safflorite(Co,Ni,Fe)As2

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

1.AA.05AluminiumAlIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
1.AA.05CopperCuIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
1.AA.05GoldAuIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
1.AA.05LeadPbIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
1.AA.05NickelNiIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
1.AA.05UM2004-08-E:AuCuPdCu2PdAu
1.AA.05UM1991-06-E:AuCuAu3Cu
1.AA.05Copper Group
1.AA.05SteinhardtiteAl0.38Ni0.32Fe0.30Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Im3m
1.AA.05aAuricupride Subgroup
1.AA.10aAuricuprideCu3AuIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Pm3m
1.AA.10bTetra-auricuprideAuCuTet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : P4/mmm
1.AA.10aCuproaurideCu3Au
1.AA.10Nickel Group
1.AA.15AnyuiiteAuPb2Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : I4/mcm
1.AA.15Khatyrkite(Cu,Zn)Al2Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : I4/mcm
1.AA.15NovodnepriteAuPb3Tet. 4 2m : I4 2m
1.AA.15UM1985-02-E:AlZn(Zn,Cu)Al2
1.AA.20Cupalite(Cu,Zn)AlOrth.
1.AA.25HunchuniteAu2PbIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m)
1.AA.30StolperiteAlCuIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Pm3m
1.AA.35HollisteriteAl3FeMon. 2/m : B2/m
1.AA.40IcosahedriteAl63Cu24Fe13Icos. 5 3m : Fm 3 5
1.AA.45Kryachkoite(Al,Cu)6(Fe,Cu)Orth. mm2 : Cmc21
1.AA.50ProxidecagoniteAl34Ni9Fe2Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma

Fluorescence of SilverHide

Other InformationHide

Magnetism:
Paramagnetic
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Industrial Uses:
An electrical conductor, in photoactive chemicals in film and light darkening glass, jewelry, coinage.

Silver in petrologyHide

An essential component of rock names highlighted in red, an accessory component in rock names highlighted in green.

Internet Links for SilverHide

References for SilverHide

Reference List:

Localities for SilverHide

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Locality ListShow

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.
 
Mineral and/or Locality  
Mindat Discussions Facebook Logo Instagram Logo Discord Logo
Mindat.org is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2024, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: April 27, 2024 11:21:33 Page updated: April 27, 2024 01:28:23
Go to top of page