Q. What is the colour of Colloidal Silver ?
A. All colloidal metals are coloured, as explained by Bechold:
“Most inorganic hydrosols, especially metals, form characteristic coloured solutions, e.g., silver hydrosols are brown, platinum hydrosols are greenish brown, gold hydrosols are red, but become blue or finally brown when electrolytes are added” [1].
At the time this was written, colloidal solutions were mainly produced by chemical methods, and so the particles tended to be larger. However, the point is that colloidal metals are coloured.
A later publication by Hill gives a more precise statement specifically for colloidal silver:
“As the water accumulates silver, the colour can range from clear to yellow or golden. The colour is a function of particle size. The small particles will produce a clear or nearly clear liquid which will also display a Tyndall effect. Larger particles will be light yellow. As the particles get larger, the colour will become a darker yellow or golden, then red, then green and finally blue. The largest particles produce a blue colour. ” [2].
As long as the colour remains clear or yellow, this is a good indication.
Often after storage, the colour changes to yellow, due to environmental effects, such as electric fields. Also static electricity from charged fabrics that people wear, particularly if there is movement around the container, or power lines nearby. Another variable is the rate at which colloidal silver is produced, which also influences particle size, and hence colour. An unusual influence on production rate is lunar phase.
I have seen the brown colour when experimenting with electrodes that are not controlled, especially after long intervals of current flow. This does not happen with the PyraMed, due to auto reversal of polarity, and the auto-stop feature when the colloid has reached 10 ppm. RB
References
- Bechhold, H., and Bullowa, J.G.M., 1919, Colloids in Biology and Medicine, Van Nostrand, New York, p.75.
- Hill, J., 2009, Colloidal Silver, Medical Uses, Toxicology & Manufacture, Clear Springs Press, LLC., p.73.
- King, R.B., 2015, The Bible on NanoBioSilver, Ten Eagles Press, Albuquerque, NM.
Q. Should I use Distilled Water?
A. Yes. It is important to use only distilled water having less than one ppm of total dissolved solids (TDS). Domestic tap water is unsuitable since it can contain residual chlorine which will combine with silver to make silver chloride, giving a white, cloudy solution. Only steam distilled water will provide the necessary pure conditions for a quality product. De-ionised, de-mineralised or mineral water are not suitable since they also contain dissolved solids (de-ionised water can contain bacteria). Some shops will sell you ‘pure water’ – however, there is no guarantee that the water is distilled. If you plan to make regular quantities of colloidal silver, the PyraMed ‘H2O’ Water Distiller is recommended – see the Water Distillers category for further details.
Note. If using a water distiller, do NOT use the charcoal filter, as this can leave deposits in the water (Except when you need to remove VOC’s). For water containing high levels of contamination, run the water through the distiller a second time (double distillation). If you clean your water distiller, please use the recommended cleaning crystals.
The PyraMed
Glossary
Hydrosol – Colloidal suspension of essential oils.
Metallic hydrosol – An example of an inorganic hydrosol such as colloidal silver.
VOC – Volatile Organic Compound.