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| Formula: | Ag |  Click to see a larger image |
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| Crystal: | Isometric | |||
| Hardness: | 2.5-3 | |||
| Spec. Gr.: | 10.5 (pure) | |||
| Streak: | Shining silver | |||
| Cleavage: | Absent | |||
| Location: | Kongsberg, Norway |
| Many of the world's best silver specimens have come as wires and crystals from Kongsberg. Some silver specimens tarnish easily, while others are coated with minerals such as acanthite and calcite. Wonderful silver collections are displayed in the Kongsberg Museum, and in the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. The early American miners had no experience with silver mining. They angrily threw away the "the black stuff" which later brought millions of dollars. Early Egyptians found numerous deposits of gold, both domestically and abroad. Silver was very scarce, though greatly admired. Egyptian silver jewelry dating back to the early pharohs, is seen in some major Egyptian collections, particularly the Egyptian Antiquities Museum in Cairo. |
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Bibliography: Bancroft, Peter, Gem and Crystal Treasures, 1984, pg. 404-409. Wolfgang, Paul, Mining Lore. |
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