Silver

Argent

COLOR

White with a slightly yellow cast. Is difficult to polish and scratches are hard to avoid. When it contains a small amount of gold, it is slightly yellow.

REFLECTANCE

Extremely high. The highest of all the metals. Slightly lowered with antimony content.

ANISOTROPISM

Isotropic. However, scratches which are always frequent, may give false polarization effects.

TEXTURE

Native silver often occurs as small inclusions in argentite. It may also be associated with stromeyerite. Often occurs as dendritic or skeletal inclusions in safflorite, rammelsbergite or skutterudite. In this case, it may show its own habit.

ASSOCIATED MINERALS

All the silver minerals, nickel-cobalt arsenides, galena, sphalerite, tetrahedrite-tennantite (freibergite), arsenic, bismuth.

CRITERIA OF DETERMINATION

The extremely high reflectance and isotropism are the main criteria. Antimony is strongly anisotropic and less reflective. Dyscrasite much less reflective and anisotropic. Bismuth strongly anisotropic with pinkis cream tint.

Source

ATLAS OF ORE MINERALS (P. Picot and Z. Johan)