Illustrious past, bright future for silver

When you think of silver, you probably think of coins, jewelry and grandma's special silverware. For over five thousand years, that has been the primary use of silver.

Silver was one of the first metals ever mined by man, though it is rarely found in native form, it is often a byproduct of copper smelting. Being shiny, soft and malleable, it was ideal for hammering out into thin strips that could...