Tin, Lead, and Silver

Tin
Of all the elements tin is the most underrated; if something sounds bad it sounds tinny, or the Ford Model T was nicknamed the "Tin Lizzie", even know it was primarily made from steel. Tin has been exploited since 2000BC in Cornwall, by such rudimentary principles like setting fire against rocks to melt it out. Pure tin is much to soft for practical use so it was mainly used for aesthetic purposes, like ornaments. Cuttlebones, from the cuttlefish, have been used since at least Roman times to mold tin ornaments because it is easily carved and able to withstand the heat of molten tin. It also was used for prosthetics because it can be molded to follow the body's lines. In the Wonderful Wizard of Oz the tinman was actually a woodchopper whose ax is cursed and seers all of his limbs off and his head; each one is then replaced by a tin prosthetic.


Cuddle fish bone

Lead
Lead was connected to Saturn, the god of melancholy, by alchemists, but by many others it is the most closely related to death. This may have began to carry the connotation of death because the bodies of popes and kings were traditionally put in lead sarcophagi, so that their soul does not escape. Lead was used in Roman times to make dice because lead is heavy and heavy fall makes a choices. Lead is also used in celebrations in parts of Europe where lead ore is found, many countries pour molten lead into water and from there your fortune can be deduced. This ceremony happens on New Year's Eve in Germany and Luca's Day in Hungary to name a few. Lead is most often associated with weaponry, but it started because balls of lead were used as projectiles for slingshots and has now been made into bullets for fire arms.
Silver
Silver is most commonly associated with the moon and femininity. Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon, virginity and protector of women, carried a silver bow while she hunted with her band of maidens. In 1996 the Christian movement, Silver Ring Thing, brought back the symbolic value of silver. Silver Ring Thing promoted chastity among teenagers, it was launched by the para-church youth ministry who used the symbolism behind silver to promote it. The alchemical symbol for silver is a half circle, a symbol of the mood or maybe of the elements incompleteness or imperfection. Silver tarnishes into blackness, almost like humans propensity to go into the inevitable darkness. Silver was used by many cultures for coinage because it is rare enough to be valuable, but also common enough to be practical for minting. Silver is used today as nano-particles in refrigerators to battle bacteria.