Silver

Silver
Properties	Disrupts Investiture
Universe	Cosmere

The metal silver has some notable properties in the cosmere. The effects of silver are still not fully understood, but it somehow is able to disrupt various forms of Investiture. Whereas aluminum is able to block Investiture, silver's effects can be more destructive. Aluminum can be used to reduce or negate silver's effects.

Uses

Threnody

Silver is a significant substance and a valuable currency in the Forests of Hell, as it is known to repel shades. Shades that touch it are thrown backward, though the touch of the spirits blacken and ruin the metal. A ring of silver is installed around every house to ward off the shades, and the ring needs to be maintained regularly. Silver is particularly dangerous to shades for unknown reasons.

Silver can also heal the effects of a shade attack. Silver dust is applied immediately to areas of the body that are affected, reversing the necrotic effects of the shade's touch. Applying silver too late would have no effect on the wound.

Threnodite Chains

Silvery chains that originate on Threnody somehow allow a user to "anchor" themselves through a Cognitive anomaly. The implications of anchoring are unknown, but the chains are incredibly rare and valuable on other planets. They are used by the scholars of Silverlight.

The chains are described as "silver" or "silvery", but their exact composition is unclear. Raboniel was immediately shocked at the sight of a Threnodite chain on Roshar while Kaladin failed to notice anything unusual about a chain that he saw in Shadesmar, implying that the chains have distinguishing characteristics that are not obvious to every observer.

Lumar

On Lumar, silver renders aether spores and materials inert. Upon coming close to silver, spores turn a dull grey and die, losing their reactivity with water. A silver knife can also sever a Luhel bond.

Due to the aether-resistant properties of silver, ships on Lumar are partially coated in it on the deck and railings, with lines of silver often running between wooden planks. They are also used in spore cannonballs in order to more accurately control when they release their spores and water. Ships also have silver-edged axes on board, which crewmates can use to break away Verdant vines holding the ship in place.

Silver's effect on spores is not instantaneous. Spores may take a few seconds to be fully neutralized by silver, especially in large quantities. Roseite is known to resist the effects of silver, particularly if it has been hardened. Unlike spores, Midnight Essence must touch silver to be affected by it, rather than simply being in its proximity.

Much like how Shades blacken and damage silver upon interacting with it, aether spores slowly tarnish and break down silver. Silver has a finite capacity for neutralization; if a silver-reinforced ship were to sink in a spore ocean, the silver would kill many spores but eventually become inert. Due to this effect, the silver used in ship construction likely requires periodic replacement.

Sorceress

The Sorceress's tower is fully coated in a layer of silver, offering protection from spores and enemy sprouters. However, the tower did not originate on Lumar, and it is unknown if the silver exterior also serves other purposes.

Other Planets

On planets where silver is not known to exhibit special properties (such as Scadrial, Roshar, and Sel), it is typically used as jewelry or decoration.

Scadrial

Silver is Allomantically inert and is not known to play a role in Feruchemy or Hemalurgy. If a Mistborn attempts to burn silver, nothing happens. Although silver alone does not have Allomantic properties, electrum is an alloy of forty-five percent gold and fifty-five percent silver. Like all metals other than aluminum (and certain aluminum alloys), silver can be used as an anchor by Coinshots and Lurchers.

Silver has interesting properties that are undiscovered on Scadrial. It is unclear if these properties would directly affect the Metallic Arts.

Roshar

On Roshar, silver could potentially be used to permanently kill spren, unlike aluminum. A silver-nickel alloy houses the polestone on the pommel of at least one Raysium dagger used by the Fused, but the metal does not affect the dagger's function.

Trivia

• Brandon originally envisioned the Allomantic partner of pewter as silver instead of tin, changing his mind after learning that he was under the false impression that pewter had a high quantity of silver. Even years later, he sometimes forgets that silver was replaced with tin.
• Because silver is such a well-known metal in real life, Brandon still wanted to include it in the Allomantic table. He considered swapping it in for aluminum as the metal that wipes out other metal reserves in chapter 36 of The Final Empire, when Vin is captured in Kredik Shaw. However, he decided that silver was too abundant to have this effect. He has some regrets about leaving silver out of Allomancy, but the fact that aluminum goes from very rare to very common after a society becomes industrialized lends itself well to the long-term arc of Mistborn.
• After replacing silver with tin, Brandon was concerned that the description of Vin's earring might be confusing, so it became 'silver coated'.
• Nightblood's sheath is described as "silver" in Warbreaker, but it is actually made of aluminum.
• Xisisrefliel has metallic silver spikes, horns, and claws, but they are composed of dragonsteel.

Notes

This article is still missing information. Please help The Coppermind by expanding it.

This article was complete and reviewed prior to Tress of the Emerald Sea, but now needs to be updated.