Out of the metals used to make jewelry for us to wear, few are as attractive as silver. While platinum and the trendy alloy called white gold may have caught the fancy of designers and fashion's victims, silver has been twisted and carved into wearable jewels since ancient times.
The metals we wear next to our skin have the power to give us protection, or so it has been believed down the millennia in many different societies. What is in constant contact with us also has the potential to cause allergies or unpleasant reactions. 
Gold wins on this count because it rarely produces a reaction even on the most sensitive skin. Silver, although it has the tendency to tarnish or oxidize, unlike gold, is also a metal well-tolerated by most.
What makes silver different from other metals is the amount of emphasis placed on it by astrologers, healers, and yes, even people into witchcraft and the occult arts.
Silver is believed to give protection against such creatures as vampires and werewolves! All the more reason for you to flaunt that charm bracelet your boyfriend gave you in High School. But what is more intriguing is the belief in some cultures that ingesting silver is good for health. In India for instance, some Ayurvedic preparations for longevity supposedly contain silver and gold, and silver is beaten very thin into a film that is used to cover and decorate sweets.
Some preparations containing silver, for its properties as an anti-microbial are sold as alternative medicine. Silver was also considered beneficial by none other than Hippocrates. But the intake of any metal can prove devastating to the human body, particularly the circulatory system and the kidneys. While silver is not as toxic as metals like lead, mercury or nickel, the utmost precaution needs to be taken in its consumption in any form. Never consume any medicines containing silver without informing your physician.
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