As one of the first 5 metals discovered and used by humans, and one of the 7 ‘metals of antiquity’, silver has always been a prized and special material. Silver’s chemical symbol AG has roots within many different languages ~ the Latin word for silver is argentum, and this originates from the ancient Sanskrit word argunas which means ‘shining’ ~ and the french word silver (and for money) is argent. Even the country of Argentina takes its name from the Latin word for silver, due to its rich mineral deposits and the ‘mountains of silver’ once believed to exist there.
Silver objects have been found dating from before 4000BC, and silver has been held up as the ‘wonder metal’ for jewellery-making for over 6000 years. Yet for all it’s practical and useful properties, I believe it’s the mysticism and folklore surrounding silver which has really made it one of the most coveted materials ~ it really is something to treasure.
Silver – especially wearing silver jewellery – has been imbued with mystical and magical properties throughout history. Within folklore, silver is the metal of the moon, and therefore carries many of the same lunar meanings and properties. Silver has come to represent the scared feminine, alongside feelings of reflection, purity and sensuality. Silver’s reflective nature is thought to bring the wearer a sense of self-awareness, calm and balance, and wearing silver jewellery is said to help draw negative energy from the body and make way for positive energy.
Silver’s mystical properties have been utilised and amplified within the jewellery-making traditions of many cultures, through the use of precious and semi-precious stones. Indian, Tibetan and Native American jewellery is famed for the way it sets beautiful stones and crystals in silver, and it is believed that a stone’s energy and healing properties are amplified by the silver, becoming more easily directed and available to the wearer. I absolutely love the combination of silver and stones, and try to always find pieces which combine beautiful stones (turquoise, moonstone, amethyst, garnet and peridot are some of my favourites) with quality 925 sterling silver.
Silver is full of mystery and magic, and is a total joy to wear for so many reasons ~ luckily, you can find lots of magical silver treasures over on my shop!
