"Silver has always been the red stepchild of gold throughout human history (Simpson)." This is because silver is not as rare as gold or as highly valued. However, silver has still had a large impact on the economy and population today. As an important factor in world trade, globalization is due in part to this metal. Today silver is not only used as an accessory but in many useful things that we use daily. The history of silver spans many years, countries and people and is still ongoing today. Silver began as an element created by the explosion of a high-mass star. It then spread throughout the universe and was used to form planets by accretion, including our planet, Earth. The atomic number of silver is 47 and the abbreviation is Ag. It has many positive and useful properties such as being ductile, malleable and conductive for electricity. Although a common method of using silver is to melt it and pour it into molds to form different shapes, silver, in its natural state, is found as a solid. The history of silver began in the Mycenaean and Minoan civilizations around 3000 BC. Money from the silver industry led to the stability of civilizations and allowed them to stay in one area and farm instead of living as nomads. It began to be used for dishes and silverware around 2500 BC During ancient Greece, silver was collected in abundance from the Laurium mines, which were located near Athens. However, in 100 AD Spain became the main producer of silver. They supplied the Roman Empire and silver from Spain was a main component of trade along the Silk Roads. Silver was used not only to produce coins for trade, but silver products were also traded. From 500 AD to 1500 AD, in the......middle of the paper......great growth occurred which led to expansion and trade and ultimately to a material that is common today. Silver will always be known as a fundamental element of today's world. Works Cited “Global Commodities: Silver Connects the World.” Connecting World History: Unit 15: Global Raw Materials: Video Segment. Np, nd Web. December 02, 2013."The History of Silver." The History of Silver - on 925-1000.com. Np, nd Web. December 03, 2013."Silver." - Chemical properties, effects on health and the environment. Np, nd Web. 01 December 2013."Silver as an antibacterial." The Silver Institute. Np, nd Web. 01 December 2013."Silver in history." The Silver Institute. Np, nd Web. 03 December 2013.Simpson, Stephen. "A Brief 2000-Year History of Silver Prices". Cargo Headquarters. Np, nd Web. December 03, 2013."Silver Spanish Video." History.com. A&E and Web television networks. December 03. 2013.