argent (n.)

early 15c., "silver, silver coin," from Old French argent "silver, silver money; quicksilver" (11c.), from Latin argentum "silver, silver work, silver money," from PIE *arg-ent-, suffixed form of root *arg- "to shine; white," thus "silver" as "the shining or white metal." Earlier in English in the sense "quicksilver, the metal mercury" (c. 1300); the adjective sense "silver-colored" is from late 15c.