Silver is very suitable for making
serving set, or dining ware. Silver
serving set is very durable and easy to
maintain. It is a very stable metal that
will not release any poison substance.
However, because pure silver is too soft
itself, it is very hard to use silver to
make vessels that can hold. Therefore,
usually an alloy is used instead. This
kind of silver alloy usually contain
more than 90%PRCTG% silver. This alloy is very
hard and durable. Thus, silver alloy is
a good choice of material for making
dining ware. In addition, because of
their shiny nature and reflective
surface, silver materials usually make
your serving set looks elegant.

Before developing this kind of silver
alloy, manufacturers from early
centuries usually produce silver serving
set by means of a coating brass with
pure silver. The problem of this
approach is that the thin silver coating
layer will wear off easily. Thanks to
our advance technology, we now have the
silver alloy for making our serving sets
which are more long lasting than before.

The advantage of using silver for making
serving set is discovered long time ago.
As dated back in the 17th century,
silver serving set was already
introduced in England and America for
serving tea and coffee. Thus, silver
serving set has a very long history.
People keep using silver for producing
durable and awesome vessels for foods
and drinks. Besides making vessels for
serving foods and drinks, silver is also
used to create teapots and plates for
pure decoration purposes as well. Since
silver is precious metal, more people
are now treating silver serving set as
collectibles rather than daily vessels
for serving foods and drinks. Owning one
silver serving set became a symbol of
possessing a high social status in the
19th century.

Nowadays, owning silver serving set is
still perceived as a luxury hobby.
However, as technology is advancing,
buying silver serving set becomes more
affordable. Many couples will use silver
serving set for serving their guests in
their wedding banquets, and it is not
unusual to find some ordinary households
who own a set of silver serving set at
home too. To make it more personal and
unique, you can also engrave your names
on the serving set as well.

Looking for a serving set? What makes silver serving set
stands out from other materials. Read this article to find
out more

Technorati Tags : silver serving alloy making

Buying a Morgan silver dollar is to have
in your possession a coin with a history
that can be traced back more than 100
years as this sought-after collector's
item commenced circulating in 1878. A
small number mints across the US
produced this silver coin until 1904,
with a one-year edition issued in 1921.
Morgan Silver Dollar values today are
more or less so based on where the coin
was minted. Those that came out from
the Carson City, Nevada, mint would be
more valued because the mintages there
were usually low.

The coin's tails side featuring the bald
eagle contains the code on the mint
source, and hence provide the hint at
the Morgan Silver Dollar Values. The
letter codes are between the letters "D"
and "O" in "DOLLAR". The mintmark "P"
would indicate the Philadelphia Mint in
Pennsylvania, "CC" for Carson City mint,
"D" for the Denver, Colorado mint, "O"
for coins from New Orleans, Louisiana,
and "S" for those of San Francisco,
California, make.

These coins were minted with the passage
of the Bland-Allison Act in 1878
requiring US Treasury purchase of silver
for general circulation as dollars. The
initial coin issues were named after
George T. Morgan, then the US Mint's
designer, who rendered Lady Liberty on
the obverse side bearing his monogram.
The silver content of this coin totals
0.77344 troy ounces or 24.057 grams with
.900 fineness. The Philadelphia mint
exclusively produced all proofs of the
Morgan silver dollar, although there are
also 1921 proof coins known to have come
from the San Francisco mint.

The many varieties of these coins has
been included in an extensive research
undertaken and published by Leroy C. Van
Allen and A. George Allis about 50 years
ago to establish the variations in the
dies used to mint US silver dollars.
This led to having the Morgan Silver
Dollar Values indicated in its variety
classified under the so-called VAMs (for
Van Allen-Mallis).

Having a Morgan silver dollar is to have in your possession
a coin with a vintage tracing back to more than 100 years.
This popular collector's item started circulating in 1878
and was produced by several mints across the US until 1904.
. .

Technorati Tags : silver dollar morgan coins

Sterling silver is a popular choice for
jewelry makers. Many silver jewelry
buyers look for the quality stamp that
accompanies fine quality sterling silver
jewelry (found on the underside of the
silver item), as these can last a
lifetime, with proper care. So how does
one properly care for sterling silver?

The first problem encountered by
sterling silver owners is scratches. It
is easy to avoid this by putting your
silver jewelery inside a cloth pouch,
which will serve as padding. There are
also special tarnish prevention cloths
or bags which slow down the tarnishing
process. Or, should you have only one
jewelry box, place it in a compartment
or drawer of its own. Keeping it in a
dry, cool place also helps.

The next important thing to remember is
to keep it away from household chemicals
we often use for cleaning, such as
bleach and ammonia. Another chemical to
watch out for is chlorine. When
swimming, remove your jewelry as the
chemical in the swimming pool will
damage silver.

Putting your silver at a safe place and
keeping them away from the
abovementioned chemicals are not enough.
It is also necessary for you to clean
your silver pieces. The other problem
faced by silver jewelry owners is
tarnish build-up. This is when you
notice that your silver jewelry begins
to 'dull,' which is a natural occurrence
when silver reacts with the hydrogen
sulphide or sulphur in air. However, do
not be afraid when you see this, as it
is easily managed. There are many
polishes which can remove silver tarnish
build-up, and you can find these
polishes or solutions, as well as the
cloths to wipe your silver, in stores
you frequent, such as hardware stores
and specialty craft stores. Upon seeing
tarnish, it is best to clean it right
away, as this is also the time when it
is easily removed. Regular cleaning will
assure you of gleaming silver which will
last you a lifetime.

Phosphate-free detergent is also
recommended. You also probably have
heard of many people using toothpaste in
cleaning their sterling silver jewelry.
However, experts warn that it might
actually be too coarse, leaving dull
scratches on your silver item.

Many people think that keeping their
silver jewelry carefully will ensure
that it will remain shiny and bright,
and we have also found out that cleaning
is required. However, the best way to
keep sterling silver jewelry from
tarnish build-up is by simply wearing
it. This creates a patina; a glow which
is combined with darker areas. However,
many people prefer their silver jewelry
to be more shiny and bright, and if you
are also like them, using polish is the
best solution to restore its original
brightness.

Sterling jewelry might sound to be
lovely pieces of jewelry to wear, but
the best thing is that it is relatively
inexpensive - both buying and caring for
it are within reach of nearly any
budget. With the proper knowledge, one
can own sterling silver jewelry, which
can last a lifetimewithout putting a
dent in one's earnings.

So how does one properly care for sterling silver? The first
problem encountered by sterling silver owners is scratches.

Technorati Tags : silver jewelry sterling which

In times of economic hardship, one of
the first things that people have turned
to throughout the ages is the buying and
selling of precious metals. With the
economy in the state it's in today, it's
no surprise that this old method of
dealing with money problems has come up
again. For many people, scrap silver
can be an extremely profitable sideline.
Its value keeps going up and it's in
short supply. That means that any
silver scrap you find has some real
intrinsic value. Recycling this scrap
into cash is a smart idea.

So, where can you find scrap silver?
There are lots of different options,
including old electronics and household
goods, as well as coins, but one of the
most popular ways to get it is by buying
broken silver jewelry. This jewelry
isn't worth its original price, since
it's no longer wearable, but the silver
in it is still worth its weight, and can
be recycled into a number of other
things. You can get an amazingly good
deal on real silver jewelry, even if
it's bent, dented, broken or seriously
tarnished beyond the hope of cleaning.

Of course, you'll need to know what
you're looking for, and you'll have to
get a good idea of what the going price
for silver is. Pure silver is best, but
can be hard to find. Fortunately, many
alloys can still be sold as scrap
silver, too. You'll just end up with a
slightly lower price, depending on the
purity of the piece.

Jewelry suitable for scrap silver sale
can be hard to identify if you don't
know what you're looking for. It's
often been broken and unwearable for a
long time, resulting in a heavy dark
patina. It may be dirty, tangled in a
large amount of junk or costume jewelry,
or found in the corners of old drawers.
Many people probably run into this kind
of jewelry on a regular basis without
ever realizing what it is. Learn the
signs that differentiate silver from
base metals and which will help you find
the real thing.

If you're buying jewelry you hope to
sell for scrap silver, be sure not to
pay too much. You'll usually have to
spend some time on it, especially if the
real jewelry needs to be sorted out from
lower quality material in a large lot.
Since you're trying to make a profit,
it's important to think about time
spent, as well as the value of the
material itself. Remember that prices
fluctuate all the time. While silver
retains an enduring value, the amount
you'll make at any given time will be
different.

Remember to remove all stones and other
metals, keeping them separate from the
silver. Scrap should be sold
individually, not as one piece of
jewelry. If the piece is still
wearable, it's probably worth more, so
don't think about destroying good
jewelry for its silver value. Remember
to find out the going rate, so you'll
know whether scrap merchants online or
off are offering you a good deal.

Scrap silver is a great way to make some
extra cash from old jewelry, as long as
you know what you're doing. Take some
time to learn about the process of
finding and selling scrap, and you could
find yourself in much better
circumstances.

Here is information on buying scrap silver and where to get
it.

Technorati Tags : silver scrap jewelry wholesale

Let's talk jewelry. Let's talk men's
silver jewelry. When it comes to
jewelry, men love it just as much as
women. There's little difference these
days. Men's jewelry is more "masculine"
- massive and sturdy rather than dainty.
Part of this of course is the fact that
the typical male has larger fingers and
larger wrists then women, and the
jewelry needs to reflect that.

Most jewelry - well, most high-end
jewelry, is made from sterling silver.
Sterling silver is an alloy consisting
of 92.5%PRCTG% silver with 7.5%PRCTG% copper. This
is necessary because pure silver is
extremely malleable - easy to deform.

Do you know how to find the right kind
of silver jewelry for your man?

Well, most designers these days have
websites, where they show photos of
their wares, and even offer videos of
them creating their jewelry. It's really
fascinating to watch the creative
process in action.

It's really a myth that guys don't like
to shop. Of course they do - when
they're looking for stuff for them!
Whether it's clothes or jewelry, they
know what they like. However, shopping
online is definitely faster than driving
from store to store - especially in
today's economy where, unfortunately,
many stores are going out of business
because of high overheads. Most
designers now will show their wares
online.

Jewelry for guys comes in as many forms
as for women, of course. Regional
jewelry is very popular - whether it's
the turquoise inlaid silver jewelry of
the southeast United States, the clunky
and glitzy bling of the hip hop culture,
or the sheer elegance of the slim,
unadorned look.

Silver jewelry for men comes in
bracelets, including ID bracelets,
cufflinks, necklaces and pendants, and
rings. Matching items of jewelry are
always best, to give that complete book.
Mixing both silver and gold jewelry is
generally frowned upon in stylistic
circles, but lots of people wear
whatever they like, regardless of
whether the colors or designs "clash."

Let's talk jewelry. Let's talk men's silver jewelry. When it
comes to jewelry, men love it just as much as women. There's
little difference these days. Men's jewelry is more
"masculine" - massive and sturdy rather than dainty. Part of
this of course is the fact that the typical male has larger
fingers and larger wrists then women, and the jewelry needs
to reflect that.

Technorati Tags : jewelry silver women larger

Do you own some fantastic silver
jewelry? For sure it would look very
beautiful and sparkle when you bought
it, but after a period of time it became
black and dull. Sterling silver is easy
to develop tarnish when it?s exposed to
air and other chemicals. So what do you
do to make it like new? Apparently, you
could find professional cleaner for
polishing silver, and usually it only
takes seconds to remove the stain. But
it will be a waste of money when you
could use some common household products
to do it. And they are safe; they won?t
hurt your hands. There are several
methods to help you to buff silver.

Dish cleaner.

1. Put silver in the warm water and add
some mild dish cleaner.

2. Hand washing softly.

3. Dry it with soft kitchen towel or
cotton cloth.

Lemon juice or baking soda

Actually it?s a little bit dangerous to
use lemon juice or baking soda because
they are too strong for silver cleaning.
If you don?t mind to take a risk of
damage your silver jewelry, you can give
it a shot. The steps are the same as
dish cleaner.

Toothpaste

You could not image that toothpaste
could be the perfect cleaner as some
professional silver polish products. It
really works!

1. Choose toothpaste without any
whitening options.

2. Put some toothpaste on your silver
jewelry and rub it with a piece of
cotton cloth gently.

3. Rinse off with warm water and use
towel to dry it.

Other tips

Coke:

Put silver into Coke for 12 hours to let
the stains dissolve; Polish silver with
cotton cloth and then dry it.

Lip stick:

Rub lip stick all over your silver
jewelry, then risen off with warm water
and use towel to dry it.

So right now your silver looks fabulous
with the perfect luster, and to keep
your silver clean to retain its shining
longer we should store silver correctly.

1. Avoid touching rubber, stainless
steel, or paint. Because rubber contains
sulfur which is the enemy of silver.

2. Avoid exposing silver a period time
to food like eggs, which are high in
sulfur.

Keep it dry, when silver get wet, some
chemicals in the air are easily to
attach to the surface of silver and
corrode it.

Although you could store carefully,
still, you need to clean and polish
silver frequently just like everyday you
wash your face. And do not wear silver
jewelry in swimming pool; the chlorine
could destroy it easily.

Do you own some fantastic silver jewelry? For sure it would
look very beautiful and sparkle when you bought it, but
after a period of time it became black and dull. Sterling
silver is easy to develop tarnish when it?s exposed to air
and other chemicals. So what do you do to make it like new?

Technorati Tags : silver jewelry could cleaner

The Draped Bust Silver Dollar is so old
and so rare that it would cost a fortune
to own genuine pieces of these. These
antique coins are one of the earliest
coins among the official currency of the
USA and were minted under the Coinage
Act of 1792.

There were two types of these Silver
dollar coins produced by the US Mint
from 1794 to 1803, each different from
the obverse side. The first issue is
called the Flowing Hair manufactured for
only two years, 1794-1795. The second is
the Draped Silver Dollar which came out
for a longer period, 1795-1804.

The Draped Silver Dollar also features
two varieties in its reverse design.
These draped silver coin types are the
small eagle which was minted 1795-1798,
and the heraldic eagle struck in
1798-1804.

All dates of mintage between 1795 and
1903 have different variety
classifications because the dies in
those days were done by hand engraving.
The varying nuances in the draped bust
silver dollar design and its vintage
pedigree have created a certain mystique
among coin collectors who are willing to
spend much to own one.

But because of its popularity and the
high price that it could command,
antique silver dollar fakes have also
proliferated. Auction facilities online
are often the outlets for such
counterfeit coins as the sellers could
easily hide under anonymity.

Fortunately, population auction houses
like eBay are doing some efforts to stop
the unscrupulous practice by stopping
sale of those coins determined to be
fake. Still, the auction may proceed if
the seller declares that the coins being
sold by bidding are replicas. It would
only be illegal to own counterfeit coins
if the intention of the owner is to pass
them off as real.

An authority at the American Numismatic
Society advises that those who chose to
collect counterfeits or replicas should
clearly label them as such to prevent
these from being sold inadvertently as
genuine coins later. For indeed, there
are still many gullible ones who would
not check and just think that theyre
buying the real rare draped bust silver
dollar.

The Draped Bust Silver Dollar is one the earliest coins
among the official currency of the USA. These antique coins
were been minted under the Coinage Act of 1792, and it would
cost a fortune to own genuine pieces of these. . .

Technorati Tags : silver dollar coins draped

Silver and gold are the only commodities
that can be used as currencies. In
fact, before paper currency was
invented, these commodities were already
being used as instruments of trade and
exchange. With the current meltdown of
most paper assets and the increasing
devaluation of paper currencies, silver
and gold emerged as the most profitable
assets that can resists hyperinflation.
So if you want to resist hyperinflation,
you should invest your money in stable
mining companies such as Silver Wheaton
and ABX.

Silver Wheaton is the leading mining
company that exclusively produce silver.
It is the most trusted and highly
profitable silver mining company in the
world. Silver Wheaton is projecting 23
million ounces of silver sales for the
fiscal year 2009. The good news
provided by Silver Wheaton is its
projection of 30 million ounces of sales
by 2013. So just imagine how you can
profit from these growth projections
when most people will be suffering from
the impact of hyperinflation. The
exponential growth projection of Silver
Wheaton should come without spending
additional overhead capital. So this
means pure profit taking from the growth
of silver production in the next five
years.

On the other hand, you can venture in
gold stocks by investing on ABX or
Barrick Gold. ABX is the leading
producer of gold in the world with an
annualized production level of 8 million
ounces. ABX gold is the only mining
company in the gold sector with
impeccable balance sheet. Its
financials stands on solid ground thus
enabling the company to fund its
ambitious exploration activities to find
new sources of gold. Compared to
silver, gold stocks investing have
higher rates of growth. The growth
potential of the gold sector could
effectively shield your money from the
destructive impact of hyperinflation.
You should take advantage of the
lucrative prices of gold now. There are
projections that hyperinflation will set
in by year 2010 so you better take
refuge in the gold sector when that time
comes.

Silver and gold are the traditional
assets that have remained stable
throughout the centuries. That is
because these two commodities can be
used as monetary units. Silver and gold
have enough liquidity and can be traded
with other commodities. The values of
these natural resources will remain
stable even if you divide them into
smaller units. Because of these
characteristics, silver and gold will
forever remain profitable even if all
the paper currencies of the world become
worthless. As recession heightens, the
demand for gold and silver will
certainly increase. Thus, your
investments in these sectors will
certainly become profitable as the
global economic downturn worsens.

There is no escaping the
hyperinflationary trends that will grip
the United States in the near future.
This bleak scenario will be unstoppable
if the current economic managers remain
blind to the realities that producing
more paper money will only intensify
inflation. You cannot do anything about
this madness. But this does not mean
that you cannot take your money away
from paper assets and invest it in hard
assets such as silver and gold.

Silver and gold are the only commodities that can be used as
currencies. In fact, before paper currency was invented,
these commodities were already being used as instruments of
trade and exchange. With the current meltdown of most paper
assets and the increasing devaluation of paper currencies,
silver and gold emerged as the most profitable assets that
can resist hyperinflation.

Technorati Tags : silver paper hyperinflation assets

People often talk about gold, platinum
or silver when the topic of precious
metals is raised. Fine silver is also
regarded as a precious metal as it is
nothing but silver with refined
properties to make it more shiny and
precious. Silver has been used since
ages from the time of Egyptian
civilization.

Silver is also even mentioned in the
holy bible along with various gemstones
and other precious elements existing on
this planet. These days, silver is used
for various purposes and in every kind
of field whether its ornaments or
science and technology. Silver finds its
use in every kind of field today. Silver
had been used through many generations
of our ancestors and is still in use by
the people living in the world today.
Silver ornaments or silver jewelry have
always been in fashion and also is
accepted all over the world.

A person?s appearance is decided
according to his clothes he is wearing,
the style of his hair and the makeup he
is having on his face. Apart from these
things, accessories are a bonus to the
person?s appearance. Accessories like
jewelry majorly affect a person?s
personality especially when the person
is a female. These days, jewelry has
become a very important part of a
person?s personality and outfit and
hence most people wear some or the other
kind of jewelry these days. A lot of
people prefer silver jewelry because it
is cheaper than gold and also looks more
unique as compared to gold or any other
metal. Silver jewelry also lasts longer
than any other type of jewelry and hence
people prefer to buy silver jewelry
rather than any other kind of jewelry
which requires more money.

There are various other advantages of
silver jewelry also which includes the
cleaning of the jewelry. Cleaning
jewelry made of gold or platinum is
quite a painful job and hence as
compared to these types of jewelry,
cleaning of the silver jewelry is quite
an easy job for any one. A person can
just keep his or her silver jewelry in a
tank filled with water and a cleaning
agent. With time, the cleaning agent
removes all the chemical dirt from the
surface of the silver jewelry and the
ornaments become as good as new. Silver
jewelry has become very famous among the
people these days and they prefer it
over any other kind of jewelry now.

People often talk about gold, platinum or silver when the
topic of precious metals is raised. Fine silver is also
regarded as a precious metal as it is nothing but silver
with refined properties to make it more shiny and precious.
Silver has been used since ages from the time of Egyptian
civilization.

Technorati Tags : silver jewelry other precious

HAVE you checked the temperature lately?
If so, very possibly you consulted a
mercury thermometer. Perhaps you
wondered where the mercury came from.
The source could well have been the
Almad?n mine in Spain, where the world?s
richest mercury deposit is found. More
than a quarter of the world?s mercury
production comes from this seam.

?Quicksilver? in English, Quecksilber in
German, vif argent in French, azogue in
Spanish and hydrargyros in Greek?all are
names for mercury?that elusive,
slippery, silver-colored, ?live? or
?quick? liquid metal. In the modern
world, mercury has more than 3,000 uses.
How is it obtained?

Geologists say that eight elements form
more than 98.5 percent of the earth?s
crust, and that the remaining 95 or
more, including mercury, constitute a
mere 1.5 percent of the total.
Consequently, mercury is not easy to
find.

Mercury in Its Natural State

During the formation of the earth,
mercury was one of the thermal liquids
that pushed up to fill the cracks and
fissures of certain parts of the earth?s
crust. In some cases, it remained as
pockets of liquid mercury, but in the
majority of cases it combined with
sulfur to form mercuric sulfide or
cinnabar. The rock that contains this
mineral has a reddish hue. On closer
examination, it has a speckled
appearance. Those red speckles contain
the precious mercury, which is separated
from the ore by the slow process of
mining the rock, crushing it, roasting
it and distilling and condensing the
resultant vapor, then, by filtration or
agitation, separating from the
condensate the hydrargyrum (from the
Greek word meaning ?liquid silver?).
Today we call it ?mercury,? a name that
was applied by the alchemists in the
sixth century C.E.

When did man first discover mercury? One
source says that mercury has been found
in Egyptian tombs dated as early as
1500?B.C.E. We can find definite
reference to the metal in the writings
of Theophrastus (a disciple of
Aristotle), who, about 300?B.C.E.,
described how ?liquid silver? was
prepared by a simple process of pounding
cinnabar stone together with vinegar in
a copper vessel. Actually, the pounding
served to separate small quantities of
free mercury, but did not liberate the
mercury that was in compound form.

Pliny the Elder reported, about 50?C.E.,
that each year some 5,000 kilograms
(11,000 pounds; 5 metric tons) of
cinnabar were taken from Sisapo in Spain
(possibly the area known today as
Almad?n) and were transported to Rome,
where cinnabar was used as vermilion
pigment. The mercury was used to recover
the ?noble? metal, gold, as well as
being used with gold in a gilding
process.

At the beginning of the eighth century
C.E., the Arab invasion of the Iberian
peninsula began. This Arab and Moslem
occupation lasted for eight centuries.
During this period, the Arabs encouraged
the exploitation of the Almad?n mercury
mines. As a result, much of the
present-day Spanish vocabulary that has
to do with mercury mining springs from
the Arabic. For example, even the full
name of the town, Almad?n del Azogue, is
derived from the Arabic words al-ma2din
(the mine) and az-za?kq (the mercury),
or The Mine of the Mercury. The Spanish
word for the condensation chamber that
is used to obtain the mercury is aludel,
from the Arabic al-?utal, which refers
to the receptacle that was used for
condensing the mercury vapor into
liquid. The old furnaces that were used
in Almad?n were called jabecas, derived
from the Arabic sab+ka, or ingot.
Similarly, the men employed to construct
the ovens were alba?iles, from al-bann
,
the bricklayer or builder, or were
alarifes, from al-2ar+f, the teacher or
skillful one.

The Spanish king Alfonso VII recaptured
Almad?n in the year 1151?C.E., and
during the following centuries the
Spanish crown ceded the mine for private
exploitation. In the 20th century the
direction of the mine was put in the
hands of an administrative council that
has progressively modernized the mine, a
process that continues to this day.

Distillation Methods Through the
Centuries

The primitive methods for obtaining
mercury were far from efficient, as is
shown by the fact that in the 17th
century workmen were able to feed the
new Bustamante furnaces with burned
stone that had been thrown out after use
in the Arab jabecas, or ovens, and were
still able to get appreciable quantities
of mercury. The first Bustamante furnace
was installed in 1646. In two years,
nine more of these were built, and
eventually 16 were in operation. This
boosted mercury production from 2,527
quintales, or hundredweight, in 1646 to
an annual production of 7,000
hundredweight in 1776.

Uses of Mercury

As the centuries rolled by, the uses for
mercury multiplied. In the 16th century,
Paracelsus, a Swiss-born alchemist and
physician, employed mercury in the
treatment of syphilis. In 1558,
Bartolom? de Medina improved the method
for extracting silver by a process that
involved the use of mercury. The weather
barometer was invented in 1643 by the
Italian physicist Torricelli, who used a
column of mercury to determine the
atmospheric pressure. The thermometer
with which the doctor or nurse checks
your temperature was invented in 1720 by
the German scientist Gabriel Fahrenheit,
who calibrated the tube containing the
expanding column of mercury, making 180
divisions between the freezing and
boiling points of water.

Another and less peaceful use for
mercury was invented after E. C. Howard
discovered mercuric fulminate, which was
used until the 1960?s to detonate
explosives. The list of uses has
snowballed in our 20th century to
include agricultural and industrial
fungicides, electric switches and
mercury batteries, to name only a few.
Mercury in vapor form serves in
ultraviolet lamps, and in mercury lamps
that light the highways. In some cases,
mercury vapor is used instead of steam
for power generation. This versatile
metal has also been used in dental
fillings as an amalgam with a silver and
tin alloy. It does not appear to be
poisonous when so used.

Mercury?Friend or Foe?

This is a legitimate question, for in
the last 20 years man has learned the
hard way that mercury is a servant that
has to be strictly controlled. In many
countries, including Japan, Sweden, the
United States and Canada, evidence has
accumulated establishing the fact that
mercury in certain forms is a poison
that affects both human life and animal
life.

Investigations have revealed abnormal
amounts of mercuric compounds in certain
fish and game birds. These excesses have
been traced to industrial plants that
have released mercury along with other
waste products, and also to fungicides
using methyl mercury. This compound,
entering into the food chain, produces
catastrophic effects.

Methyl mercury is especially dangerous
to pregnant women, since it tends to
accumulate in the fetus, causing brain
damage to the unborn baby. In New
Mexico, U.S.A., in 1969, a family was
poisoned by eating pork from a hog that
had been fed on grain treated with
methyl mercury. Three children were
severely crippled, and the fourth,
poisoned while in the womb, was born
blind and retarded. In the area of the
Japanese city of Minamata, mercury
poisoning reached epidemic proportions
before the doctors finally tracked down
the culprit?methyl mercury that had
belched out of the effluent pipe of a
nearby factory, contaminating the fish,
which was a main local source of food.

HAVE you checked the temperature lately? If so, very
possibly you consulted a mercury thermometer. Perhaps you
wondered where the mercury came from. The source could well
have been the Almad?n mine in Spain, where the world?s
richest mercury deposit is found. More than a quarter of the
world?s mercury production comes from this seam.

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