Gold may be the most prized of earthly materials, but the magickal gleam of silver puts it (traditionally) in second place. Silver was one of the first metals known to the ancients—the Bible mentions riches of gold and silver. Silver deposits are found in nature, but (unlike gold) rarely in a pure state. Over the centuries, miners and crafters learned to take this dark grey rock and turn it into tools and ornaments of luminous beauty. Its Latin name, argentum, comes from the Sanskrit, arj-una (“light”).

Just as gold is linked to the vibrant hue of the Sun, the gentler glow of silver is tied to the Moon. Its Lunar qualities were observed by the ancient Egyptians, who represented the metal with the emblem of a circle. Later on, medieval alchemists codified silver as one of the seven planetary metals and attributed it to the Moon. This old association with reflection, receptivity, and lunar goddesses is the strongest influence on silver’s magickal heritage.

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