The Silver Institute Demand for silver is built on three main pillars; industrial and decorative uses, photography and jewelry & silverware. Together, these three categories represent more than 95 percent of annual silver consumption. In 2006, 430.3 million ounces of silver were used for industrial applications, while over 145.8 million ounces of silver were committed to the photographic sector, 165.8 million ounces were consumed in the jewelry market, and 59.1 million ounces were consumed in the silverware market. While silver's importance as a bactericide has been documented only since the late 1800s, its use in purification has been known throughout the ages. Early records indicate that the Phoenicians, for example, used silver vessels to keep water, wine and vinegar pure during their long voyages. In America, pioneers moving west put silver and copper coins in their water barrels to keep it clean. Silver plays yet another role in the collection of solar energy: efficient reflection of solar heat. Silver is the best reflector of thermal energy (after gold). Silver paste is used in 90 percent of all crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells It is estimated that some 700 tons of silver are in continuous use in the world's chemical industry for the production of two compounds essential to the plastics industry. One is the reaction that produces ethylene oxide (the basic building block for flexible plastics), the other is the reaction that produces formaldehyde (the building block of solid plastics).

Silver curtains on hospital wards do help to tackle MRSA Experts at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) found that using material containing the metal in wards cuts levels of the superbug. The four-week trial, the first large study into the effectiveness of curtains containing silver against MRSA infection, compared three different types of curtains: traditional cloth curtains, new curtains containing silver and new curtains without any silver.

Mitsui Mining new autocatalyst uses silver, not platinum "Silver will totally replace platinum in this new autocatalyst that we've developed," a company spokesman said.♦

A Brief History of The Health Support Uses of Silver For thousands of years silver has been used as a healing and anti-bacterial agent by civilizations throughout the world. Its medical, preservative and restorative powers can be traced as far back as the ancient Greek and Roman Empires. Long before the development of modern pharmaceuticals, silver was employed as a germicide and antibiotic. Consider these interesting facts: * The Greeks used silver vessels to keep water and other liquids fresh. The writings of Herodotus, the Greek philosopher and historian, date the use of silver to before the birth of Christ. * The Roman Empire stored wine in silver urns to prevent spoilage. * The use of silver is mentioned in ancient Egyptian writings. * In the Middle Ages, silverware protected the wealthy from the full brunt of the plague. * Before the advent of modern germicides and antibiotics, it was known that disease-causing pathogens could not survive in the presence of silver. Consequently, silver was used in dishware, drinking vessels and eating utensils. * In particular, the wealthy stored and ate their food from silver vessels to keep bacteria from growing. * The Chinese emperors and their courts ate with silver chopsticks. * The Druids have left evidence of their use of silver. * Settlers in the Australian outback suspend silverware in their water tanks to retard spoilage. * Pioneers trekking across the American West found that if they placed silver or copper coins in their casks of drinking water, it kept the water safe from bacteria, algae, etc. * All along the frontier, silver dollars were put in milk to keep it fresh. Some of us remember our grandparents doing the same. * Silver leaf was used to combat infection in wounds sustained by troops during World War I. * Prior to the introduction of antibiotics, Colloidal Silver was used widely in hospitals and has been known as a bactericide for at least 1200 years. * In the early 1800s, doctors used silver sutures in surgical wounds with very successful results. * In Ayurvedic medicine, silver is used in small amounts as a tonic, elixir or rejuvenative agent for patients debilitated by age or disease. Colloidal Silver: Expert Opinions Because of the research showing colloidal silver's superior performance in fighting microbes, it has attracted the attention of leading scientists and medical researchers throughout the world. Its benefits are now stirring new interest as 50 prominent doctors are currently researching the efficacy and applications of colloidal silver in human health. As a result, many interesting studies have emerged. According to experts, no microorganism ever tested has been able to stay alive for more than six minutes when exposed directly to colloidal silver.