Silver-manganese oxide ores are present in western United States, Mexico, South America, and Sumatra. The amount of silver varies between a few parts per million (ppm) to thousands of ppm. However, these ores are not compatible with conventional metallurgical treatment for the extraction of silver. This research is the study of the nature of silver binding with one model manganese oxide phase, cryptomelane. Cryptomelane is widely present in the United States and in parts of Colorado, with silver-bearing cryptomelane ore bodies containing up to a maximum of 1 wt% of silver. In order to better understand the nature of silver binding in cryptomelane, synthetic samples of cryptomelane were prepared and characterized, and then used for silver sorption experiments. The silver uptake appears to be a function of the solution chemistry conditions, pH and potassium nitrate concentration. The sorption of silver was found to increase with decreasing pH and at a fixed pH value, the sorption density was higher at a lower potassium nitrate concentration. Kinetics and equilibrium sorption data from lithium and sodium nitrate background electrolyte demonstrates three main results: firstly, most of the uptake of silver is compensated by release of potassium; secondly, the exchange for silver with protons and potassium ions is almost stoichiometric; and lastly, the importance of tunnel sites for the sorption reaction in cryptomelane. An ion-exchange model for the uptake of silver onto cryptomelane will also be discussed.