argento
Silver has always been a renowned metal; it is estimated that in the first half of Middle Age 100.000 tons of gold were extracted, provoking the end of the then gold deposits.
Following the discovery of America, the countries of Bolivia, Peru and Mexico scored 85% of the global production until 1800; the discovery of other deposits in Australia and Central America during the XIX century increased the production of gold thanks to cutting-edge technologies.
In 2003 gold extractions amounted to 27.000 tons, of which 30% did not come directly from mines, but from recovery of industrial waste, scrap or pieces of waste equipment.
The high availability has stimulated the markets and the use of this precious metal, for example, the colloidal use for the cure and prevention of diseases or disturbances of the immune system.
Its features of cold processing, malleability, ductility and mechanical resistance are useful for its use in the industry as a conductor of electricity, in jewelry for the realization of necklaces and decoration; furthermore due to its high level of refraction, silver is used in photovoltaic industry in order to transform solar energy into electric energy.
