{{Short description|Naturally occurring pure metallic silver mineral}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox mineral |boxtextcolor=#FFFFFF|boxbgcolor=#C0C0C0| name = Native Silver | category = Native metal | image = Acanthite-Silver-imiter4.jpg | alt = A cluster of bright silver, wire-like, and crystalline metallic mineral protruding from a dark, grayish-black matrix. | caption = Native silver specimen exhibiting robust crystallization from the Imiter Mine, Ouarzazate Province, Morocco (miniature size 4.3 × 4.1 × 2.1 cm) | formula = Ag | strunz = 01.AA.05 | dana = 1.1.1.3 | system = Isometric (Cubic) | class = Hexoctahedral (m{{overline|3}}m) <br/>H-M symbol: (4/m {{overline|3}} 2/m) | symmetry = ''F''m{{overline|3}}m | unit cell = a = 4.086&nbsp;Å; Z&nbsp;=&nbsp;4 | color = Silver-white on freshly exposed surfaces; readily tarnishes to yellow, brown, dark gray, or black upon exposure to atmospheric hydrogen sulfide (H<sub>2</sub>S) | habit = Commonly massive, arborescent, dendritic, or as filiform (wire-like) twisted aggregates. Rarely as macroscopic cubes, dodecahedra, or octahedra. | twinning = Very common on ⟨111⟩, producing reticulated and complex dendritic arrays | cleavage = None | fracture = Hackly | tenacity = Highly malleable and ductile; sectile | mohs = 2.5–3.0 | luster = Metallic | streak = Silver-white (shining) | gravity = 10.1–11.1 (pure is 10.5; varies with presence of gold or copper) | melt = {{convert|961.78|C|F|abbr=on}} | fusibility = 2 | diagnostic = High specific gravity, distinctive silver-white shining streak, extreme ductility, complete solubility in nitric acid | solubility = Soluble in nitric acid and heated concentrated sulfuric acid | diaphaneity = Opaque | other = Exhibits the highest electrical (6.30 × 10<sup>7</sup> S/m) and thermal conductivity of any metal at room temperature.<ref name="CRCConductivity">{{cite book |last=Shackelford |first=James F. |title=CRC Materials Science and Engineering Handbook |edition=4th |publisher=CRC Press |year=2016 |pages=123–124}}</ref> }} '''Native silver''' is a naturally occurring native element mineral consisting of the chemical element silver (Ag) in its pure, uncombined metallic form. It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system (isometric) with lattice parameter a = 4.086 Å and space group ''F''m{{overline|3}}m. Silver has an average continental crustal abundance of approximately 0.056 parts per million (ppm).<ref name="RudnickGao">{{cite book |last1=Rudnick |first1=Roberta L. |last2=Gao |first2=Shan |title=Treatise on Geochemistry |chapter=4.1: Composition of the Continental Crust |edition=2nd |publisher=Elsevier |year=2014 |pages=1–51 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-08-095975-7.00301-6}}</ref> While rarely found in its elemental state, it more commonly occurs in compound forms such as sulfide minerals or sulfosalt minerals. Native silver occurs with crystallographic habits including filiform (wire-like), arborescent, and dendritic structures in hydrothermal veins, and constitutes only a minor fraction of global production, which is primarily sourced as a by-product from base-metal ores.<ref name="SilverInstitute">{{cite report |title=World Silver Survey 2025 |publisher=The Silver Institute |year=2025 |url=https://silverinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/World_Silver_Survey-2025.pdf |access-date=February 28, 2026}}</ref><ref name="USGSMCS2026">{{cite report |author=U.S. Geological Survey |title=Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Silver |url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-silver.pdf |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior |year=2026 |access-date=February 28, 2026}}</ref>

== Crystallography and physical characteristics == Native silver crystallizes in the cubic crystal system (isometric), belonging to the hexoctahedral class (''F''m{{overline|3}}m), with lattice parameter a = 4.086 Å.<ref name="Handbook">{{cite web |last1=Anthony |first1=John W. |last2=Bideaux |first2=Richard A. |last3=Bladh |first3=Kenneth W. |last4=Nichols |first4=Monte C. |title=Silver |url=https://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/silver.pdf |website=Handbook of Mineralogy |publisher=Mineral Data Publishing |access-date=February 28, 2026 |date=2001}}</ref> Despite this highly symmetrical underlying lattice, well-formed macroscopic crystals—such as cubes, octahedra, or dodecahedra—are rare. The mineral exhibits kinetic and structurally distorted growth forms due to rapid precipitation from supersaturated hydrothermal fluids. Filiform and dendritic habits are common. Wire silver occurs as striated, twisted, and curled strands. These wires commonly form as silver-bearing sulfides—most often acanthite (Ag<sub>2</sub>S)—break down, allowing metallic silver to grow outward as thin, wire-like strands, a documented mechanism particularly in certain low-temperature hydrothermal systems.<ref name="Boellinghaus2018">{{cite journal |last1=Boellinghaus |first1=Th. |last2=Lüders |first2=V. |last3=Nolze |first3=G. |title=Microstructural Insights into Natural Silver Wires |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=8 |year=2018 |pages=9053 |doi=10.1038/s41598-018-27159-w}}</ref> Arborescent and dendritic habits result from accelerated crystal growth in open vugs, where branching structures develop along the ⟨111⟩ crystallographic axes. Complex twinning, particularly spinel-law twinning on the ⟨111⟩ plane, occurs in these formations. Native silver has a Mohs hardness of 2.5 to 3.0. It is sectile, and can be carved with a steel knife. Its ductility and malleability allow it to be drawn into fine wires or hammered into foils. Thick wires often exhibit natural work hardening due to plastic deformation during growth or emplacement.<ref name="Boellinghaus2018" /> The specific gravity of the pure mineral is 10.5, though natural specimens range from 10.1 to 11.1 due to solid-solution alloying.<ref name="Handbook" /> Freshly fractured or polished native silver exhibits a silver-white color and metallic luster, reflecting 92–97% of incident visible light.<ref name="Yang2015">{{cite journal |last1=Yang |first1=H.U. |last2=Dombrowski |first2=K.D. |last3=Mehdizadeh |first3=M. |last4=Minich |first4=R.W. |last5=Krueger |first5=G. |title=Optical dielectric function of silver |journal=Physical Review B |volume=91 |issue=23 |year=2015 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevB.91.235137|article-number=235137}}</ref> It possesses the highest electrical (6.30 × 10<sup>7</sup> S/m) and thermal conductivity of any metal at room temperature.<ref name="CRCConductivity" />

Native silver may also occur as pseudomorphs after acanthite, where silver sulfide (Ag<sub>2</sub>S) is replaced by metallic silver while preserving the original crystal morphology.<ref name="Ramdohr1980" />

== Geochemistry, paragenesis, and alteration == The occurrence of silver in its native metallic state requires geochemical conditions with low fugacity of sulfur (''f''S<sub>2</sub>) and strongly reducing conditions (low Eh).<ref name="Guilbert1986">{{cite book |last1=Guilbert |first1=John M. |last2=Park |first2=Charles F. |title=The Geology of Ore Deposits |publisher=W. H. Freeman and Company |location=New York |year=1986 |pages=580–585 |isbn=978-0716714569}}</ref> This stability can be visualized in Eh–pH predominance diagrams, where native silver occupies a field under low Eh and low sulfide activity.<ref name="Guilbert1986"/> Thermodynamically, native silver is favored over acanthite (Ag<sub>2</sub>S) under conditions where ΔG° for the reaction 2Ag + S → Ag<sub>2</sub>S becomes positive (i.e., low sulfur activity and reducing Eh). When sulfur is abundant, silver precipitates as acanthite, proustite (Ag<sub>3</sub>AsS<sub>3</sub>), or pyrargyrite (Ag<sub>3</sub>SbS<sub>3</sub>). Native silver often forms during late stages of mineralization in many hydrothermal systems or in supergene environments where silver sulfides are oxidized and reduced by meteoric water. Native silver forms a solid solution series with gold (Au); compositions containing more than 20% gold are classified as electrum. Substitution of copper (Cu) occurs, and trace mercury (Hg), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), and arsenic (As) are detected. High-mercury varieties are natural silver amalgams. As a noble metal, native silver resists oxidation by oxygen but reacts with hydrogen sulfide (H<sub>2</sub>S). Tarnish forms a superficial amorphous sulfide (Ag<sub>2</sub>S), progressing through colors to dark gray or black. Native silver dissolves in nitric acid (HNO<sub>3</sub>), producing silver nitrate (AgNO<sub>3</sub>), but is inert in cold hydrochloric acid (HCl).<ref name="Ramdohr1980">{{cite book |last1=Ramdohr |first1=Paul |title=The Ore Minerals and their Intergrowths |edition=2nd |publisher=Pergamon Press |location=Oxford |year=1980 |pages=344–352 |isbn=978-0080238012}}</ref>

== Geological occurrence and global distribution == thumb|Distribution of world silver mine production (2011)|330x330px Native silver occurs as a trace mineral in a wide range of geological environments, but specimens suitable for macroscopic collection and study are restricted to specific metallogenic provinces with favorable geochemical conditions. It is most commonly associated with low-sulfidation epithermal veins hosted in felsic volcanic rocks and with the oxidized upper profiles (supergene enrichment zones) of polymetallic base-metal deposits.<ref name="Guilbert1986"/> In addition to the primary paragenetic assemblage of calcite, quartz, barite, fluorite, various sulfosalts, and base metal sulfides such as galena (PbS), sphalerite (ZnS), and chalcopyrite (CuFeS<sub>2</sub>), native silver frequently occurs alongside secondary copper carbonates (such as malachite Cu<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>(OH)<sub>2</sub> and azurite Cu<sub>3</sub>(CO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(OH)<sub>2</sub>), tellurides (including hessite Ag<sub>2</sub>Te, petzite Ag<sub>3</sub>AuTe<sub>2</sub>, and sylvanite (Ag,Au)Te<sub>2</sub>), and other precious metal-bearing phases.<ref name="Ramdohr1980"/> Native silver is particularly characteristic of several distinct deposit types beyond the classic Five-Element veins. These include: * Low-sulfidation epithermal systems, where silver precipitates in open vugs and fractures during late-stage fluid evolution.<ref name="Guilbert1986"/> * Supergene enrichment zones in polymetallic sulfide deposits, where oxidation and downward migration of meteoric water lead to reduction and redeposition of silver as native metal.<ref name="Guilbert1986"/> * Auriferous–argentiferous (Ag–Au) veins, where native silver coexists with native gold and electrum, often in quartz-carbonate gangue.<ref name="Panczner1987">{{cite book |last1=Panczner |first1=William D. |title=Minerals of Mexico |publisher=Van Nostrand Reinhold |location=New York |year=1987 |pages=342–346 |oclc=13498064}}</ref> * Ag–Cu–Au associations in polymetallic veins, with native silver intergrown with native copper, cuprite, and gold.<ref name="Panczner1987"/> * Au–Te–Ag telluride-rich systems, where native silver occurs with calaverite (AuTe<sub>2</sub>), krennerite ((Au,Ag)Te<sub>2</sub>), and coloradoite (HgTe).<ref name="Ramdohr1980"/> These associations reflect the geochemical mobility of silver under varying sulfur fugacity, redox conditions, and fluid composition. In many cases, native silver marks the terminal phase of mineralization sequences, crystallizing atop pre-existing sulfides and sulfosalts after sulfur depletion or in oxidizing supergene settings.<ref name="Guilbert1986"/> <gallery mode="packed" caption="Associated minerals and silver-bearing species" heights="180"> File:Acanthite-221203.jpg|Acanthite (silver sulfide), a common associate and alteration product of native silver. File:Calaverite-Fluorite-174247.jpg|Calaverite (gold telluride) with purple fluorite from the Cripple Creek district. File:Krennerite-118304.jpg|Krennerite, a rare silver-gold telluride showing distinct orthorhombic cleavage. File:Electrum Jamestown Minéraux SU.jpg|Electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver, showing a pale yellow metallic luster. File:Gold-Hessite-mf11b.jpg|Hessite (silver telluride) associated with native gold crystals. </gallery>

=== The Five-Element (Ag–Ni–Co–Bi–U) veins === These specialized hydrothermal deposits are characterized by the coexistence of native elements (Ag, Bi) with nickel and cobalt arsenides, often accompanied by uraninite. They are sources of macroscopic native silver. * '''Kongsberg, Norway:''' The Kongsberg Silver Mining District is globally renowned for its thick wire silver aggregates. Mining from 1623 to 1958 intersected vein systems where hydrothermal fluids interacted with carbonaceous sedimentary beds, creating localized reducing environments conducive to wire formation.<ref name="Neumann1944">{{cite journal |last1=Neumann |first1=Henrich |title=Silver Deposits at Kongsberg |journal=Norges Geologiske Undersøkelse |volume=162 |year=1944 |pages=1–133}}</ref> * '''Freiberg, Germany:''' Located in the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge), Freiberg produced dendritic and arborescent silver associated with proustite and stephanite.<ref name="Ramdohr1980"/> * '''Cobalt District, Canada:''' Discovered in 1903 in Ontario, this district produced slabs of native silver intergrown with skutterudite and smaltite. Ores contained high silver content, being shipped directly to smelters.<ref name="Petruk1971">{{cite journal |last1=Petruk |first1=William |title=Mineralogical Characteristics of the Deposits and Textures of the Ore Minerals |journal=The Canadian Mineralogist |volume=11 |issue=1 |year=1971 |pages=108–139}}</ref> <gallery mode="packed" caption="Geological landscapes and major historical silver-producing districts" heights="160"> Parque nacional El Chico (Big cross boulder).jpg|The volcanic landscape of the Pachuca Range, part of the world-class Pachuca-Real del Monte epithermal system. Detalles del Templo del Sagrado Corazon.jpg|Neoclassical facade of the Sagrado Corazón Temple in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, showing local stonework from a region historically centered on silver extraction. File:Virginia Range meets Pah Rah Range (21783215778).jpg|The Virginia Range in Nevada, host to the Comstock Lode, the first major silver discovery in the United States. File:Kongsberg Brücke.jpg|Historic stone bridge in the Kongsberg Silver Mining District, Norway, famous for its native silver-bearing carbonate veins. File:Myslivny bozi dar lake.jpg|The Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) at Myslivny, a classic European locality for historic five-element vein silver deposits. File:Cerro Rico Potosí,Bolivia - panoramio (cropped).jpg|View of the Cerro Rico in Potosí, Bolivia, a massive silver-tin deposit within the Bolivian tin belt. </gallery>

=== Epithermal Systems of the Americas and North Africa === Tertiary volcanic belts in the American Cordillera and related regions host major epithermal silver systems responsible for much of historical production. * '''Mexico:''' The Sierra Madre Occidental is one of the world's most silver-rich provinces. Notable localities include Batopilas in Chihuahua (famous for herringbone dendrites in white calcite), Fresnillo in Zacatecas, Taxco in Guerrero, and the Pachuca-Real del Monte Mining District in Hidalgo, where supergene zones produced abundant wires and masses.<ref name="Panczner1987"/> * '''United States:''' The western United States hosted some of the most famous and productive epithermal silver districts in history. The Comstock Lode in Nevada (discovered in 1859) was the first major silver rush in the U.S., producing hundreds of millions of dollars in silver and gold from bonanza veins rich in native silver, argentite, and electrum.<ref name="ComstockBritannica">{{cite web |title=Comstock Lode |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Comstock-Lode |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=February 28, 2026}}</ref> Other notable districts include Cerro Gordo in California (one of the richest silver camps in the 1870s, with massive native silver masses from supergene zones).<ref name="Merriam1963">{{cite report |last=Merriam |first=C.W. |title=Geology of the Cerro Gordo mining district, Inyo County, California |series=USGS Professional Paper |number=408 |year=1963 |publisher=US Geological Survey |url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/pp408}}</ref> Tonopah in Nevada (silver-rich epithermal veins with native silver and tellurides)<ref name="duBray2019">{{cite report |last1=du Bray |first1=E.A. |last2=John |first2=D.A. |last3=Colgan |first3=J.P. |last4=Vikre |first4=P.G. |last5=Cosca |first5=M.A. |last6=Morgan |first6=L.E. |title=Petrology of volcanic rocks associated with silver-gold (Ag-Au) epithermal deposits in the Tonopah, Divide, and Goldfield Mining Districts, Nevada |series=USGS Scientific Investigations Report |number=2019–5024 |year=2019 |publisher=US Geological Survey |url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2019/5024/sir20195024.pdf}}</ref> and Cripple Creek in Colorado (primarily gold but with significant native silver in telluride associations).<ref name="MindatCripple">{{cite web |title=Cripple Creek Mining District, Teller County, Colorado, USA |url=https://www.mindat.org/loc-3611.html |website=Mindat.org |publisher=Hudson Institute of Mineralogy |access-date=February 28, 2026}}</ref> * '''Morocco:''' The Imiter Mine in the Anti-Atlas mountains is a world-class epithermal deposit hosted in Neoproterozoic rocks. It is renowned for lustrous, sharply crystallized, heavily twinned native silver crystals often associated with dark acanthite or green chlorite.<ref name="Levresse2004">{{cite journal |last1=Levresse |first1=Gilles |last2=Cheilletz |first2=Alain |last3=Gasquet |first3=Dominique |last4=Marcoux |first4=Eric |title=The Imiter Ag-Hg deposit (Morocco): New isotopic and fluid inclusion data |journal=Economic Geology |volume=99 |issue=2 |year=2004 |pages=381–395 |doi=10.2113/gsecongeo.99.2.381}}</ref> '''Andes:''' Deposits such as Cerro Rico de Potosí in Bolivia and Cerro de Pasco in Peru produced enormous quantities of silver from supergene oxidation of massive sulfosalt bodies, leaving thick crusts of spongy native silver.<ref name="Ramdohr1980"/>

== Historical significance and metallurgy == Beyond its mineralogical occurrence, native silver held historical significance in metallurgy and economy. It was utilized early, alongside gold and copper, for ornamental and utilitarian purposes from the 4th millennium BCE in Anatolia and the Aegean. thumb|220px|The Acosta Mine in Real del Monte, Hidalgo. In Ancient Egypt, silver was associated with the moon, ritual purity, and the bones of the gods due to its pale color. It was used for beads as early as the Predynastic Period (ca. 4400–3100 BCE) and for personal ornaments and cult objects through Roman times. Silver was valued more highly than gold for much of Egypt's history and was imported from neighboring lands, as local sources were limited. Silver jewelry and vessels symbolized purity and divine connection in temples and elite burials.<ref name="MetEgyptSilver">{{cite web |title=Silver in Ancient Egypt |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/silver-in-ancient-egypt |website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art |access-date=February 28, 2026}}</ref> In Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and the Andes, native silver and silver-bearing ores were exploited by indigenous cultures for ceremonial objects, jewelry, and ritual items. In regions such as modern-day Mexico and Peru, native peoples hammered native silver into thin sheets or shaped it into figurines and adornments, demonstrating sophisticated knowledge of metal properties long before European contact.<ref name="PreColMetallurgy">{{cite web |title=The Use of Metals in Prehistoric America |url=https://www.penn.museum/sites/journal/900/ |website=University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology |access-date=March 15, 2026}}</ref> [[File:Ocho reales de plata 1759 (reverso).jpg|thumb|left|200px|Reverse of a 1759 silver Spanish dollar.]] The arrival of European powers in the New World transformed native silver from a local prestige material into a cornerstone of global economy. The discovery of massive silver deposits in the Spanish colonies, particularly in Mexico, initiated one of the largest metal extraction enterprises in history. Guanajuato became the world's leading silver district in the late 18th century, with the Valenciana Mine producing about 30% of the world's total supply during its peak, yielding immense wealth that funded colonial infrastructure and Spanish power.<ref name="ValencianaReport">{{cite web |title=Technical Report on the Valenciana Mines Complex |url=https://minedocs.com/26/Valenciana-Mines-TR-12312023.pdf |website=MineDocs |access-date=March 15, 2026}}</ref> Zacatecas, discovered in 1546, was Mexico's chief mining camp for centuries, maintaining high production despite periodic declines and contributing significantly to New Spain's silver output.<ref name="ZacatecasUNESCO">{{cite web |title=Historic Centre of Zacatecas |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/676/ |website=UNESCO World Heritage Convention |access-date=February 28, 2026}}</ref> A pivotal innovation was the patio process, developed by Bartolomé de Medina in Pachuca in 1554. This mercury amalgamation technique allowed efficient extraction of silver from low-grade ores, revolutionizing production and enabling Spain to dominate global silver supply for centuries.<ref name="PatioProcessBritannica">{{cite web |title=Patio process |url=https://www.britannica.com/technology/patio-process |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=February 28, 2026}}</ref> The silver from Guanajuato, Zacatecas, and other districts supported Spain's economy, financed European wars, and was minted into the Spanish dollar (real de a ocho), which became the world's first global currency. thumb|220px|Hand-forged sterling silver candlestick centerpiece. Silver from New Spain circulated widely in Asia, Africa, and Europe, influencing trade networks and contributing to early globalization.<ref name="BritannicaSpanishDollar">{{cite web |title=Coins of Latin America |url=https://www.britannica.com/money/coin/Coins-of-Latin-America#ref16027 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=February 28, 2026}}</ref> In the United States, the Comstock Lode in Nevada (discovered in 1859) marked the first major silver rush, producing hundreds of millions of dollars in silver and gold from bonanza veins rich in native silver, argentite, and electrum.<ref name="ComstockLode">{{cite web |title=Virginia City Historic District, Nevada|url=https://www.nps.gov/places/virginia-city-historic-district.htm |website=National Park Service (NPS) |access-date=February 28, 2026}}</ref> In Canada, the Cobalt District in Ontario (discovered in 1903) yielded massive slabs of native silver intergrown with arsenides, becoming one of the richest silver camps in history.<ref name="CobaltOntario">{{cite web |title=Cobalt area, Cobalt-Gowganda region, Timiskaming District, Ontario, Canada |url=https://www.mindat.org/loc-535.html |website=Mindat.org |access-date=February 28, 2026}}</ref> Crystalline and wire forms of native silver were often melted into bullion for export, but well-preserved historical specimens are rare due to systematic smelting. Some exceptional pieces from colonial mines survive in museums, serving as tangible links to this era of silver-driven economic transformation.

== Comparison with associated native elements == Comparisons based on reported frequencies in mineralogical literature and collections (Handbook of Mineralogy, Mindat.org).<ref name="Mindat">{{cite web |title=Native Silver |url=https://www.mindat.org/min-3664.html |website=Mindat.org |publisher=Hudson Institute of Mineralogy |access-date=February 28, 2026}}</ref><ref name="Handbook"/> Over 80% of global silver supply (estimated at 26,000 tonnes in 2025) is a by-product from smelting polymetallic sulfide ores.<ref name="USGSMCS2026"/> {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Mineral !! Chemical Formula !! Hardness (Mohs) !! Specific Gravity !! Dominant Crystallographic Habit !! Relative resistance to alteration/oxidation !! Relative rarity as macroscopic specimens |- | '''Native Silver''' || Ag || 2.5–3.0 || 10.1–11.1 || Wires (filiform), dendrites, arborescent sprays || Low to moderate<ref name="Mindat"/> || High<ref name="Mindat"/> |- | '''Native copper''' || Cu || 2.5–3.0 || 8.9 || Massive nodules, complex dendrites, distinct rhombs || Low<ref name="MindatCopper">{{cite web |title=Native Copper |url=https://www.mindat.org/min-1209.html |website=Mindat.org |publisher=Hudson Institute of Mineralogy |access-date=March 1, 2026}}</ref> || Moderate<ref name="MindatCopper"/> |- | '''Native gold''' || Au || 2.5–3.0 || 19.3 || Nuggets, flattened flakes, octahedra, hopper crystals || Extreme<ref name="MindatGold">{{cite web |title=Native Gold |url=https://www.mindat.org/min-1720.html |website=Mindat.org |publisher=Hudson Institute of Mineralogy |access-date=March 1, 2026}}</ref> || Moderate to high<ref name="MindatGold"/> |- | '''Native platinum''' || Pt || 4.0–4.5 || 21.5 || Rounded alluvial grains, rare cubic microcrystals || Extreme<ref name="MindatPlatinum">{{cite web |title=Native Platinum |url=https://www.mindat.org/min-3236.html |website=Mindat.org |publisher=Hudson Institute of Mineralogy |access-date=March 1, 2026}}</ref> || Very high<ref name="MindatPlatinum"/> |}

== Gallery == <gallery mode="packed" heights="220" caption="Representative native silver specimens by locality"> File:Acanthite-Silver-pr04b.jpg|Crystalline silver wires with acanthite. Imiter Mine, Morocco. File:Silver-221224.jpg|Arborescent native silver on calcite matrix. Balcoll Mine, Spain. File:Silver-mun05-8a.jpg|Filiform native silver with dark tarnish. Kongsberg, Norway. File:Silver-ma66a.jpg|Wire silver from Saxony District. Himmelsfürst Mine, Germany. File:Silver-tmix07-126b.jpg|Native silver ropes and wires. Himmelsfürst Mine, Germany. </gallery>

== See also == * Silver * {{Annotated link|Native element mineral}} * {{Annotated link|Precious metal}} * {{Annotated link|Supergene (geology)}} * {{Annotated link|Noble metal}} * {{Annotated link|Gangue}} * {{Annotated link|Native state (metallurgy)}}

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * [https://www.mindat.org/min-3664.html Native Silver mineral data] on Mindat.org * [https://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/silver.pdf Silver sheet] from the Handbook of Mineralogy.

Category:Silver Category:Native element minerals Category:Silver minerals Category:Cubic minerals Category:Minerals in space group 225