Silver is a soft, white lustrous metal. In 2022, the total global reserves of silver amounted to some 550,000 metric tons.
As a precious metal, silver is often used in the production of coins, ornaments, jewelry, and silverware. Additionally, it has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal, which makes it extremely useful for certain industrial applications, such as electrical contacts and conductors, as well as a catalyst in chemical reactions. Silver has also been used for other applications, such as in cell phones and solar panels.
