Archeologists claim that as early as 4000BC the people in the Middle East were working with metals. Their skills and techniques developed rapidly and by 2500BC artisans in Egypt and Mesopotamia had developed methods of annealing and shaping metals for functional and decorative use.

According to regional folklore silver is a metal subordinate to the moon. That is why upon the sighting of a new moon, it is said that one should touch silver and make a wish. This, rather, romanticizes the use of silver. In the region , the use of silver cups and flatware to embellish a table attestes the universal love for beautiful objects.