Native Elements: Silver

Composition: Ag; gold and other metals may alloy with gold

Crystal system: Isometric; common forms dendritic or wiry, also massive or as scales and sheets on fracture surfaces

3.5.1
dendritic native silver

Properties:

• Metallic lustre
• Silver-white color; tarnishes black
• White to grey streak
• Knife scratches very easily; fingernail scratches barely or not at all (Mohs Hardness 2.5-3)
• Very high density
• No cleavage
• Hackly fracture, extremely malleable
• Not ferromagnetic
• Does not react with hydrochloric acid (HCl) but is soluble in sulfuric acid (H2SO4)

Occurrence:

Native silver occurs with quartz, carbonates, sulfides and cassiterite in hydrothermal vein deposits and also as a secondary mineral formed by the weathering of primary silver-bearing ore deposits.

3.5.2 dendritic native silver	3.5.3 dendritic native silver

Silver is both an industrial and precious metal. It is used widely in the photographic and electrical industries as well as for jewellery and coins.