Mexico’s Incredible Silver Wealth

Mexico is the world’s leading producer of silver, and the Mexican Silver Belt (La Faja de Plata) is the world’s most productive silver district, with an annual production of over 10 billion ounces of silver and between 63 and 75 million ounces of accompanying gold production. This prolific silver belt extends for roughly 800km alongside the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range and includes mining districts that have been in almost continuous production since the 16th century, such as Pachuca, Hidalgo; Guanajuato, Guanajuato; Zacatecas and Fresnillo, Zacatecas; Tayoltita, Durango; Francisco del Oro, Chihuahua; and Charcas, San Luis Potosi. The country is home to some of the world’s oldest and most sought after silver mining jurisdictions. It is believed that about one-third of all silver mined in the history of the world has come from Mexico. But even with such a rich history, this country’s silver mineralization is nowhere near depleted.

Source: Mexican Business, Mining News: “Building on Mexico’s Silver Mining Legacy” (10/21/2013). Online:

https://mexicobusiness.news/mining/news/building-mexicos-silver-mining-legacy [Accessed 2/19/2025].