Which sulfide minerals are important sources of silver?

In the context of silver processing, most silver is recovered as a by-product from ores mined primarily for other base metals, such as lead, copper, and zinc. These ores are predominantly composed of sulfide minerals.123

Important silver-bearing sulfide minerals include:

• Argentite (Ag₂S): A primary silver sulfide mineral.12
• Proustite (Ag₃AsS₃): A silver-bearing sulfosalt.14
• Polybasite [(Ag,Cu)₁₆Sb₂S₁₁]: A complex silver-bearing sulfosalt.1
• Tetrahedrite [(Cu, Fe, Ag, Zn)₁₂Sb₄S₁₃]: A commercially important mineral that often contains silver.42

Additionally, silver is frequently found within the crystal structures of common base-metal sulfides, which serve as the primary host ores. These include:

• Galena (PbS): The chief ore mineral of lead, which often contains silver.15
• Sphalerite (ZnS): The primary ore mineral of zinc.14
• Chalcopyrite (CuFeS₂): A major copper-bearing sulfide.14

While these minerals are not mined solely for their silver content, they are the essential sources from which the vast majority of the world's silver is extracted during smelting and refining processes.12