SILVER

Our company is considered to be other primary silver mining companies, notwithstanding the fact that close to two thirds of global output is derived as a by-product of gold, lead, zinc and copper mines. Irrespective, AURUM CREST PRECIOUS METAL TRADING L.L.C has long been the top global producer of silver, both by-product and primary, and aim to maintain that leadership position going forward. Demand for silver is primarily driven by fabrication (industrial applications, photography, jewellery etc) and investment; either directly through coins and bullion or via Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Mine output provides majority of silver supply, while recycling and scrap amount for most of the remainder, with government sales a minor and unpredictable source.

Silver has many industrial uses, accounting for more than half of annual demand worldwide over the last five years.

This means that economic growth can affect silver prices far more than it affects gold. Only 10-15% of annual gold demand worldwide comes from industrial use, the rest going to jewelry and silver investment.

Because of silver’s physical strength, brilliance, malleability and ductility (it can be squashed or pulled into shape), people have also used silver in jewelry, tableware and fine art for thousands of years. Industrial applications use silver’s conductivity (the highest of any element for electricity and heat) as well as its sensitivity to light and anti-bacterial qualities.

Today silver is invaluable to solder and brazing alloys, batteries, dentistry, glass coatings, LED chips, medicine, nuclear reactors, photography, photovoltaic (or solar) energy, RFID chips (for tracking parcels or shipments worldwide), semiconductors, touch screens, water purification, wood preservatives and many other industrial uses. Washington-based industry group the Silver Institute calls it “the indispensable metal”.

The biggest consumers of silver for industrial applications this past decade have been the US, Canada, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Germany and Russia. Over that time silver demand from older industries has faded, only to be replaced by new technological uses.