Silver deposits are found in many parts of the world, but the main silver mining areas are in South America, the USA, Australia, and the former USSR. The biggest single producer of silver is Mexico, where the history of silver mining dates back to 1500 AD, and is still being carried out. Native silver, which is found naturally in the form of a twisted wire is found mainly in Kongsberg, Norway.

One thing unique to silver is that primary silver mines account for just 20% of all the silver that is extracted, the rest 80% comes as a secondary producer or the byproduct of gold, copper, lead and zinc mining. 18% of the silver supply comes from the recycling of used photographic materials.