The special qualities of silver: its beautiful color and patina, its malleability, and its rarity have always made it a precious material used in domestic settings for ostentation and in the church for objects whose glorious appearance suited their sacred function. Although its material properties protect it from rust and decay, it does not survive in large quantities from the ancient world because it can be melted down and reused. Much of what does survive has been found in hordes that were buried to protect valuables from advancing enemies.