1200 BC – 332 BC

Silver can be found across many geographies, but about 57% of the world’s silver production comes from the Americas, with Mexico and Peru supplying 40%. Outside of the Americas, China, Russia, and Australia combine to make up nearly 22% of the world’s production.

Harder rocks and gemstones are an indication that they may be valuable, but like the rock’s color, hardness is not a determining factor….Granite is much harder than gold, but it’s far less valuable than gold.

Gold in its natural mineral form almost always has traces of silver, and may also contain traces of copper and iron. A Gold nugget is usually 70 to 95 percent gold, and the remainder mostly silver. The color of pure Gold is bright golden yellow, but the greater the silver content, the whiter its color is.

The Rochester Mine is the only operating primary silver producer in Nevada and the second largest in the USA (after the Greens Creek mine in Alaska).

Silver is often mined alongside Gold, found together in the form of an alloy called electrum. Silver also occurs alongside lead, copper and zinc ores, which is why nearly 50% of mined Silver today is obtained when processing other kinds of ore.

Below are the top global rankings of silver production by country, based on estimated data by the US Geological Survey.

1. Mexico. The number-one silver-producing country in the world is Mexico.
2. Peru.
3. China.
4. Russia.
5. Poland.
6. Australia.
7. Chile.
8. Bolivia.