Silver Mineral Data

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General Silver Information

Chemical Formula:

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 107.87 gm

Silver 100.00 % Ag

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Environment:

In sulfide ore veins.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) Prehistoric

Locality:

Mexico and Norway have large deposits of silver. Known to ancient civilizations. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Anglo-Saxon, of unknown origin.

Name Pronunciation:

Silver

Synonym:

Cocinerite - Mixture with chalcocite

Electrum - Au Alloy

Silver Image

Images:

Silver Gold

Comments: Very well crystallized Electrum (Silver rich gold) on quartz. The analysis gave 31.47% silver.
Location: Verespatak (now Rosia Montana), Transylvania, Romania. Scale: 2.8 x 3.4 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Images:

Silver

Comments: Numerous fine, silver wires to 4 mm in diameter attached to a matrix of massive white calcite and minor sulfides.
Location: Himmelsfahrt mine, near Freiberg, Saxony, Germany. Scale: 4 x 4.5 x 6 cm.
© Dan Weinrich

Images:

Silver Stephanite

Comments: Thick, ropy, native silver wires with blocky, well-crystallized stephanite on white and tan calcite matrix.
Location: Freiberg, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Alemania, Germay. Scale: Picture size 3 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Images:

Silver Mckinstryite

Comments: Black metallic massive mckinstryite with wire silver.
Location: Peregrina Mine, Guanajuato, Mexico. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Silver Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 4.0862, Z = 4; V = 68.23 Den(Calc)= 10.50

Crystal System:

Isometric - HexoctahedralH-M Symbol (4/m 3 2/m) Space Group: F m3m

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.359(1), 2.044(0.4), 1.231(0.26),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
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S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Wyckoff R W G , Crystal Structures , 1 (1963) p.7-83, Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York, Cubic closest packed, ccp, structure

Physical Properties of Silver

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Silver white, Gray white, Gray.

Density:

10 - 11, Average = 10.5

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Hackly - Jagged, torn surfaces, (e.g. fractured metals).

Habit:

Arborescent - "Tree like" growths of branched systems (e.g. silver).

Habit:

Dendritic - Branching "tree-like" growths of great complexity (e.g. pyrolusite).

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Hardness:

2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

silver white

Optical Properties of Silver

RL Color:

Brilliant silver white.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Silver in Air**
λ	R	∑ R(λ)
400 nm	69.80
420 nm	71.00
440 nm	73.20
460 nm	75.00
480 nm	76.80
500 nm	78.20
520 nm	79.50
540 nm	80.80
560 nm	81.70
580 nm	82.50
600 nm	83.20
620 nm	84.00
640 nm	84.60
660 nm	85.20
680 nm	86.00
700 nm	86.50

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Silver in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	20%	40%	60%	80%	100%	120%
R

Calculated Properties of Silver

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=9.15 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Silver =10.5 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0
Boson Index = 1

Photoelectric:

PE_Silver= 261.51 barns/electron
U=PE_Silver x rElectron Density=2,392.85 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Silver is Not Radioactive

Silver Classification

Dana Class:

01.01.01.02 (01)Native Elements

(01.01)with metallic elements other than the platinum group

(01.01.01)Gold group

01.01.01.01 Gold Au F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.01.01.02 Silver Ag F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.01.01.03 Copper Cu F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.01.01.04 Lead Pb F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.01.01.05 Aluminum Al F m3m,P m3m 4/m 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

01.AA.05 01 - ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)

01.A - Metals and Intermetallic Alloys

01.AA -Copper-cupalite family

01.AA.05 Aluminum Al F m3m,P m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.AA.05 Copper Cu F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.AA.05 Lead Pb F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.AA.05 Gold Au F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.AA.05 Nickel Ni F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.AA.05 Silver Ag F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

Other Silver Information

References:

NAME( Sinkankas66) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

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Silver

Ag
Dana No: 01.01.01.02 Strunz No: 01.AA.05
Locality:

Notes: