Where is silver found?

• Silver can be found all over the world, but is generally concentrated around volcanic and hydrothermal activity.
• However, silver is rarely found in pure form. Silver is more often mined from mineral deposits such as argentite, chlorargyrite and galena.
• As a precious metal of high value to investors, or as one of the most useful elements in everyday technologies, silver can be found throughout the products we use every day, and in other places you wouldn't expect (can you believe – silver is used in the circuit boards of our television sets!)

When was silver discovered? & Who discovered silver?

• There is no known specific time for when silver was discovered, as such an event pre-dates records.
• It was probably discovered by the Bronze Age at the latest, and evidence of silver work stretches back to 4,000 BC.
• No one knows who first discovered silver, but it has formed part of human society for thousands of years. As one of top ten metals of antiquity, silver has been known to humans for much of written civilisation.

Which locations do we find silver in?

• There are more than 743 silver mines in operation globally, of which 127 are in India, according to GlobalData’s mines and projects database.
• The American continent has some of the biggest silver deposits in the world, with mines in the US, Mexico, Bolivia, Chile, Peru and Canada all producing significant amounts of silver annually.
• Poland has three of the largest silver mines in the world, and gold-rich Australia also has significant silver deposits.
• In 2022, estimated 26,000 metric tons of silver was produced globally of which about 700 metric tons was produced in India.
• Currently, India is 11^th largest producer of silver globally.

India top 5 silver mines

Is silver tradeable?

• Silver bullions are bought & sold everyday on commodity markets across the globe, hence it is also considered as an investment asset
• Current Silver Rate for 1kg (Mar’24 Future) – approx. 72,500
• In India, many parents purchase ‘chandi (Indian name for silver)’ in form of plates, bowls, etc to secure their child’s future. These hard items can also be easily sold at a jewellers for exchange/ cash.