Silver FAQ

Since I announced that silver is coming to the Morningstar apothecary, I've gotten a lot of questions.

Which I expected.

Silver is one of those subjects where you can find a lot of information... and a frankly impressive amount of conflicting information.

So before the first bottles arrive on the shelves, I wanted to answer some of the questions I've been getting about what I'm making, why I'm making it the way I am, and what all these silver terms actually mean. Throughout this blog post, I will reference the SilverLungs operations manual, since I am using their generator for production.

There is just one little catch.

This is an FAQ about the preparation, not a guide to using silver to treat anything.

Because I cannot actually tell you how to use it. Thanks, FDA. 😉

So anyway, let's get nerdy.🤓

1. What exactly is colloidal silver?

At its simplest, colloidal silver is a water-based preparation containing very small silver particles.

The word colloidal refers to colloids, or particles dispersed throughout a liquid.

Silver in an aqueous preparation can exist in different forms, including silver ions and metallic silver particles. These are chemically distinct forms of silver, even though you'll often see the terms used rather loosely in consumer products. SilverLungs distinguishes between ionic silver solutions, which predominantly contain silver ions, and colloidal preparations, which predominantly contain silver particles. 

The distinction matters because these forms behave differently.

2. What's the difference between ionic silver and colloidal silver?

This is probably the most important bit of silver vocabulary to understand.

Ionic silver refers primarily to individual silver ions dispersed in water.

Colloidal silver refers primarily to metallic silver particles suspended throughout the water in a uniform way.

They're related, but they're not interchangeable terms. SilverLungs describes its generator as producing an ionic silver solution and provides a separate conversion process for producing colloidal or blended preparations.

And that brings us to the particular preparation I'm making for Morningstar.

3. What is a blended silver solution?

A blended preparation is a preparation containing both ionic silver and particulate/colloidal silver.

For my first Morningstar preparation, I'm making a:

20 ppm Ionic + Colloidal Silver Solution

The SilverLungs protocol describes a "50/50" or blended preparation as a combination of ionic and colloidal silver and provides a specific process for converting a freshly generated ionic solution toward that composition.

I'm starting with this particular preparation because it gives me one clearly defined product to make, document, and learn from rather than trying to stock multiple concentrations right out of the gate. 

One silver at a time, friends. We're an apothecary, not a silver factory. The blended preparation also gives you the best of both worlds as far as application goes, since ionic silver and colloidal silver have different applications.

4. What does 20 ppm mean?

PPM means parts per million.

In this context, it describes the concentration of silver in the solution. One important thing to understand is that ppm tells us about quantity, not automatically about particle size or the physical form of the silver.

SilverLungs likewise describes ppm as a measure of quantity rather than a type or size of silver.  So 10 ppm and 20 ppm aren't two different kinds of silver. They're different concentrations. And that's worth knowing when you're comparing products.

A bigger number on a bottle isn't automatically a better preparation.

5. Why did you choose 20 ppm?

Partly because the SilverLungs generator has 10 ppm and 20 ppm production settings.

More importantly for this particular preparation, the SilverLungs protocol specifies a freshly produced 20 ppm ionic solution as the starting point for its 50/50 conversion process.

So rather than choosing a number because it sounds impressive, I'm following a defined production process and documenting what I'm actually making.

That's how I prefer to work.

6. Why is colloidal silver yellow?

This is one of my favorite questions because the answer is wonderfully nerdy.

Did you know? True colloidal silver is naturally yellow.

The color comes from the way suspended silver nanoparticles interact with light. Silver particles selectively absorb part of the violet-purple portion of the spectrum, producing the characteristic yellow appearance of the solution. This phenomenon is called plasmon resonance.

The exact shade can vary depending on particle size, shape, and concentration.

So that lovely pale golden color isn't food coloring. It's a physical characteristic of the preparation.

7. Why doesn't your silver look completely clear?

This follows naturally from the previous question.

A preparation containing predominantly dissolved ions may appear clear, while particulate silver can interact with light and produce visible coloration.

SilverLungs specifically describes yellow coloration as associated with its particulate silver preparations.

For Morningstar, the finished preparation will generally have a clear-to-pale-yellow appearance. The SilverLungs manual specifically identifies the characteristic yellow color as an indication of the presence of colloidal silver particles.

So if you're expecting "colloidal silver" to look exactly like a glass of distilled water, that's actually worth reconsidering.

8. What's with the laser?

Ah, yes.

The laser.

This is one of the reasons I was so excited about making silver in-house.

A red laser can be used as a visual demonstration of light scattering by particles in a solution. The SilverLungs manual recommends using a red laser as part of its visual inspection process to check for large particles and aggregation. 

9. How do you know you're actually making 20 ppm?

I don't simply turn the generator on, wait for the machine to tell me it's finished, and call it a day. I test the solution.

The SilverLungs system uses a water-testing meter to measure ionic silver concentration. And here's an important wrinkle:

That meter measures the ionic portion. It does not measure particulate silver in the same way.

SilverLungs explains that the meter reading can decrease during the conversion from an ionic solution toward a colloidal or 50/50 preparation because some measurable ionic silver is converted into particulate silver that the meter no longer detects.

This is exactly why understanding what your measurement actually represents matters.

A number is only useful if you understand what the instrument is measuring.

10. What kind of water do you use?

Ultra-pure water.

And yes, I'm being annoyingly particular about it.

The SilverLungs process calls for very pure water and discusses testing the water before production. Its manual explains that dissolved minerals and other impurities can interfere with the electrochemical process and contribute to unwanted compounds or changes in the finished solution.

So I don't just grab whatever happens to say "distilled" on the grocery-store shelf. It must measure 0 ppm so that the silver ions do not react with anything in the water.

When you're making something this simple—silver and water—the quality of those two things matters.

11. Do you add salt?

No.

Salt, saline, and other unnecessary additives aren't part of my production process.

The SilverLungs manual specifically cautions against adding salt or saline because chloride can react with silver and form silver chloride and other compounds. 

I'm keeping the chemistry clean.

12. How pure is the silver?

The SilverLungs generator utilizes electrodes made from 99.99% pure elemental silver, according to the manufacturer's documentation.

That's one of the reasons I chose this particular system for the apothecary.

When I'm making a preparation, I want to know what I'm starting with.

13. Why are you using amber glass bottles?

This one is partly chemistry and partly practical apothecary life.

SilverLungs recommends protecting silver preparations from direct sunlight and UV exposure. And then there's my little problem:

I take Morningstar outside.

I'm going to have this product sitting on market tables in Florida sunshine. So I chose amber glass as an additional measure to limit light exposure during storage, transportation, and display.

You'll still be able to see the preparation through the glass, but the bottle itself isn't sitting there soaking up sunlight all morning.

Because apparently now I have to worry about my silver getting a sunburn.

14. What should a "50/50" or blended solution look like?

The SilverLungs protocol describes a properly prepared colloidal/50/50 solution as developing a slight yellow coloration. It also cautions that unexpected changes in color or clarity can indicate degradation or contamination. 

For Morningstar, I'll be documenting the appearance of each batch as part of production. If something doesn't look right, it doesn't go on the shelf. Simple as that.

15. How long does it last?

According to the SilverLungs manual, properly stored silver solutions should remain stable for at least six months, with storage conditions and container quality being important factors.

For Morningstar, I'll be producing in small batches rather than trying to make an enormous supply and keep it sitting on a shelf indefinitely.

Fresh batches are one of the little luxuries of having a small apothecary.

16. Why are you making silver in the first place?

Because I think it's fascinating. Because silver has a long and unusual history as a material used by humans. Because its chemistry is genuinely interesting.

And because I love learning how old preparations actually work rather than simply accepting the stories that have accumulated around them.

This is one of those projects where several of my favorite things meet in the same place:

traditional knowledge, chemistry, careful craftsmanship, and a slightly unreasonable enthusiasm for measuring things.

That's Morningstar.

17. Is this the same thing as "nanosilver"?

You'll see the word nanosilver thrown around quite a bit.

"Nano" refers to size. It isn't a completely different element or some mysterious new type of silver. SilverLungs uses the term in reference to silver particles in the nanoscale range.

And this is another good reminder that marketing terminology can sometimes sound more mysterious than the underlying science actually is.

Nano simply means very, very small.

18. So what's actually coming to Morningstar?

The first silver preparation will be:

Morningstar Silver

20 ppm · Ionic + Colloidal Silver Solution

Made in small batches using the SilverLungs system, exceptionally pure water, high-purity elemental silver, concentration testing, and visual quality checks.

And now we arrive at the question you've probably been waiting for...

19. Okay, But What Is It For?

This is where we're going to draw a line.

I'm happy to educate you about:

• what silver is
• how ionic and particulate silver differ
• what ppm means
• how the preparation is made
• how I monitor the production process
• why water quality matters
• how to evaluate silver products
• and the history and science surrounding silver preparations

What I won't do on this product page or in this FAQ is provide a list of conditions or bodily functions that Morningstar Silver is intended to treat or prevent.

That's not me being coy. That's me being responsible about what I'm selling.

FDA specifically regulates OTC products containing colloidal silver that are labeled, represented, or promoted for the treatment or prevention of disease and/or "consitions." Under 21 CFR 310.548, such products are regarded as new drugs requiring an approved application for lawful marketing. FDA's warning letters show that claims made on websites and other promotional materials can establish the intended use of a silver product. 

So I'm going to keep this article where it belongs: education about the preparation, not instructions for treating ANYTHING with it.

So, there you go. 🤓✨

It will be available with the October 11 online drop and at Saturday markets beginning In September.

I don't think you need a 47-page chemistry lecture (as much as I'd love to give one!) every time you pick up a bottle. But I do think you deserve to know what's inside it.

And now you do. 

I wanted to make a silver preparation that I could understand, document, and stand behind as a product of my own apothecary.

I'm not interested in miracle claims. I'm interested in knowing what's in the bottle. I'm interested in clean raw materials. I'm interested in understanding the chemistry. I'm interested in making small batches carefully. And I'm interested in giving you enough information that you can make informed decisions about what you bring into your home.

That's been the philosophy behind Morningstar from the beginning.

Know what you're working with.

And don't let a pretty label—or a scary headline—do all your thinking for you.

The end. Go. Be free. Think for yourself! Make your own decisions!