Silver or metallic gray is a colortone resembling gray that is a representation of the color of polished silver.
Silver ingot
The visual sensation usually associated with the metal silver is its metallic shine. This cannot be reproduced by a simple solid color because the shiny effect is due to the material's brightness varying with the surface angle to the light source. In addition, there is no mechanism for showing metallic or fluorescent colors on a computer without resorting to rendering software that simulates the action of light on a shiny surface. Consequently, in art and in heraldry, one would typically use a metallic paint that glitters like real silver. A matte gray color could also be used to represent silver.
History
The first recorded use of silver as a color name in English was in 1481. In heraldry, the word argent is used, derived from Latin argentum over Medieval French argent.
On the right is displayed the color silver chalice.
The color name silver chalice for this tone of silver has been in use since 2001 when it was promulgated as one of the colors on the Xona.com Color List.
A silver maple is characterized by lacy, delicate leaves that are lighter grayish-green on the underside. These trees get their name from the shimmering effect the two-toned leaves give when fluttering in a breeze.
The Chinese name Silver River (銀河) is used throughout East Asia, including Korea and Japan to denote the Milky Way Galaxy (An alternative name for the Milky Way in ancient China, especially in poems, is "Heavenly Han River"(天汉).). In Japanese, "Silver River" (銀河 ginga) means galaxies in general, and the Milky Way is called the "Silver River System" (銀河系 gingakei) or the "River of Heaven" (天の川 Amanokawa or Amanogawa).
The silver screen is a poetic name for a motion picture screen. This metaphor derived from the early 20th century when all movies were filmed in black and white, and some screens of the era used metallic silver as a reflecting agent.
The Silver Cord is a 1926 play by Sidney Howard about the emotional tie between a mother and a son, and the term "silver cord" is sometimes used to represent this tie.
Silver Child is the first in The Silver Sequence is a fantasy brook trilogy by Cliff McNish consisting of Silver Child, Silver City and Silver World.
The 25th wedding anniversary is called the silver anniversary; guests at a 25th wedding anniversary party are expected to bring gifts made of silver. By extension, the 25th anniversary of any significant event is called its Silver Jubilee.
In the bandana code of the gayleather subculture, wearing a silver lamébandana on the left means that one is a rock star, movie star, celebrity, or big time groupie; wearing a silver lamé bandana on the right means that one is a groupie looking to have sex with one of the aforementioned types of people.
The Detroit Lions football team uses the color silver along with the color Honolulu blue for its team logo and uniforms.
In motorsports, Germany is traditionally represented in white. However in 1934 the German teams stripped the paint from their cars to save weight, thus revealing the silver coloured bodywork beneath. They were aptly named the Silver Arrows. Since then, Germany also uses silver as one of their racing colours.