Is Silver Purified 7 Times? The Surprising Truth Behind the Phrase
Where does the "7 times" idea come from?
You might've heard the phrase “silver purified seven times” and thought — wait, really? Do silversmiths actually purify it seven times? It sounds a bit poetic, right? That’s because it is.
The idea mainly comes from Psalm 12:6 in the Bible:
"The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."
So no, it’s not a literal metallurgical rule. It's metaphorical — meant to symbolize complete purity, perfection, and the refining process of truth or character. But hey, let's not dismiss it too fast. There is some fascinating science behind the refining of silver.
How is silver actually purified?
Traditional refining methods
Historically, silver was refined through a cupellation process — heating the silver ore at high temperatures to separate it from lead and other impurities. This required skill, patience, and... well, quite a bit of fuel.
The process wasn’t done exactly seven times, but rather as many times as needed until the silver reached a desired purity. Sometimes twice, sometimes more. Seven was more of a figurative number than a checklist.
Fun fact: In old workshops, silversmiths would watch the silver until they could see their reflection in it — that’s how they knew it was pure. Kinda poetic actually.
Modern refining: precision to the decimal
Nowadays, with industrial processes, silver can be refined to 99.99% purity (also known as “four nines fine”). Methods include:
Electrolytic refining
Chemical leaching
The Miller or Wohlwill process (more often used for gold, but still relevant here)
Still no fixed "7 times" involved — just whatever works best to get rid of copper, zinc, lead, or whatever else is hitching a ride.
What does “purified seven times” really mean then?
The symbolic angle
Back to the phrase — it’s not about metallurgy. In ancient Hebrew culture, the number seven represented completeness or spiritual perfection. So the verse meant something like:
"God’s words are perfectly pure, just like silver that's been refined until nothing bad remains."
It’s a metaphor, folks — and a pretty good one at that.
But… some people (especially in survivalist or alternative health circles) have taken this idea and run with it. You’ll find colloidal silver products claiming to be "7x purified" — which sounds fancy but is often just marketing fluff.
Do silversmiths today purify silver seven times?
Short answer: Nope.
Long answer: Not unless they have a lot of free time and no better tools.
The process is driven by testing and assay, not tradition or numbers. If the sample tests at .999 fine after two passes, why go five more? Time is money, especially when melting metal.
But hey — that doesn’t stop people from using “7 times purified” as a branding trick. Makes it sound biblical and fancy, right?
Final thoughts: more poetry than process
So is silver purified seven times? Technically, no. Symbolically? Yes — absolutely. It's a metaphor rooted in ancient culture, not a lab manual.
Still, it reminds us how refinement — whether of metal or character — takes repetition, heat, and patience. And maybe that’s the real takeaway.
Because honestly? Whether it’s silver or life — sometimes it does take seven rounds to burn off the junk. Or eight. Or more.
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Is 172 cm good for a man?
Yes it is. Average height of male in India is 166.3 cm (i.e. 5 ft 5.5 inches) while for female it is 152.6 cm (i.e. 5 ft) approximately. So, as far as your question is concerned, aforesaid height is above average in both cases.
Is 165 cm normal for a 15 year old?
The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.
Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?
How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).
How tall is a average 15 year old?
Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years
| Male Teens: 13 - 20 Years) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 14 Years | 112.0 lb. (50.8 kg) | 64.5" (163.8 cm) |
| 15 Years | 123.5 lb. (56.02 kg) | 67.0" (170.1 cm) |
| 16 Years | 134.0 lb. (60.78 kg) | 68.3" (173.4 cm) |
| 17 Years | 142.0 lb. (64.41 kg) | 69.0" (175.2 cm) |
How to get taller at 18?
Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.
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Can you grow between 16 and 18?
Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.
Can you grow 1 cm after 17?
Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.