Silver

About it

Wires, branching sheets, and rare crystals that tarnish grey to black; soft, heavy, and bendable. Classic wires come from Kongsberg, Norway, and Freiberg, Germany; also Cobalt, Ontario, and Michigan's copper mines.

Type

Mineral

Group

Native element, gold group

Formula

Ag

Hardness (Mohs)

2.5–3

Specific gravity

10.1–10.5

Streak

silver white

Lustre

metallic

Crystal system

Isometric (cubic)

Colours

silver white, tarnishing grey to black

Transparency

opaque

Cleavage and fracture

none; hackly fracture, malleable

Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.