The Silver Institute

"Silver: The Element of Change," a video released earlier this year by the Silver Institute, has been named the winner of a 2013 Bronze Telly Award, an honor given each year to the finest video, film productions, online videos, programs and commercials. The widely distributed video explores the many ways silver has changed the course of history to become an indispensable part of modern society.

The Silver Institute is pleased to announce registration is now open for the 12th Annual China International Silver Conference (CISC), to be held in Kumming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China, from September 4-6, 2013.

Recent advances in biotechnology have brought a focus on silver's centuries-old role in medicine; that of acting as an important weapon in the fight against infection and disease. Silver is a critical element in bandages used to treat wounds and reduce the threat of infections in difficult environments.

Fernando Alanis, CEO of Industrias Peñoles, S.A.B. de C.V. (PENOLES: MX), the world´s largest producer of refined silver, based in Mexico, was elected President of the Silver Institute by its membership.

The Silver Institute's inaugural Industrial Silver Conference will be held October 22-23 at the Capitol Hilton in downtown Washington, D.C. The conference will examine important factors affecting silver industrial demand.

Robust global silver investor demand was the dominant driver of silver prices last year, accounting for almost a quarter of total silver demand. Averaging $31.15 per ounce, 2012's price level was the second highest on record, behind the average reached in 2011.

Industrial demand for silver has increased substantially over the past two decades and is expected to soar to a new record level in the coming year. Speaking last week at the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada convention in Toronto, Michael DiRienzo, Executive Director of the Silver Institute, said that demand for silver is broadening in many directions.

Sterling silver jewelry sales continued their strong performance during the recent Holiday Season, according to industry observers and early retail sales surveys. Retailers across the country reported to Jewelers Circular Keystone that "Sterling silver was the shining star of the Holiday Season in all types of pieces and increasingly higher price points."

China's role in the global silver market has dramatically changed over the past decade. Once a small player in the global market, China today is the world's leading market for both physical investment and paper trading of silver futures and other similar products, and is the second largest silver fabricator today.

Investors are continuing to be bullish on silver in 2012, increasing their holdings of the precious metal that are at near record levels, said the Washington, D.C.-based Silver Institute today.