Silver shines bright: Should investors beat gold and go for the white metal? Alok Jain explains

For decades, silver has lingered in the shadow of gold—valued, but rarely the center of attention. That narrative is shifting. A convergence of macroeconomic trends, industrial demand, and investor interest has propelled silver into the spotlight, making it one of the most compelling investment stories today.

For the first time in 15 years, silver has crossed the $40-per-ounce mark, drawing renewed investor attention. Alok Jain, Founder of WeekendInvesting, notes that silver is approaching its 1980s high, a milestone that has taken over four decades to reach. “Silver has historically required patience,” he explains. “Investors from the 1970s waited 45 years to see a meaningful peak.”

A key metric driving interest is the gold-to-silver ratio (GSR), currently around 85. Historically, it has averaged in the 60s, occasionally dropping to the 30s or 40s. Conventional wisdom suggests that a high ratio signals undervalued silver relative to gold, prompting potential buying opportunities.

Silver’s price behavior differs from gold due to its heavy industrial use. In 2024, industrial demand accounted for over half of total silver consumption. Electronics, solar panels, medical devices, and renewable energy technologies all rely on silver. As a result, economic slowdowns hit silver prices more sharply than gold. During the 2008 financial crisis, for example, gold fell 18%, while silver dropped 42%. Gold recovered quickly, but silver lagged, only rebounding later, sometimes surpassing gold in short-term gains.

From a portfolio perspective, silver offers both opportunity and risk. Over the last 52 years, historical studies show that buying silver when GSR exceeded 85—three notable instances, including August 2023—produced long-term returns similar to gold. For instance, silver returned 62.5% over one year from the 2023 point, slightly outperforming gold at 58.5%. Yet, rolling 10-year returns reveal silver can experience negative periods of 11–12%, whereas gold has consistently remained positive, underscoring its stability as a portfolio diversifier.

Another consideration is volatility. Silver’s price swings often mirror equity markets, with maximum drawdowns exceeding 50% at times, compared to gold’s lower volatility. This makes silver more suitable for trading or tactical investments rather than as a long-term hedge. Its gains are often “pulled along” by gold’s broader bullish trends rather than driven by independent market forces.

Practical insights for investors: Silver is cheaper to acquire than gold, making it accessible for first-time investors or smaller portfolios. It can complement gold in a diversified portfolio but should not replace it. Investors looking for long-term stability and protection against equity drawdowns will find gold a superior hedge, while silver offers opportunity for tactical or speculative plays.

In conclusion, silver has finally stepped out of gold’s shadow, offering both risk and reward. Understanding its historical patterns, industrial demand, and volatility is key. For long-term security, gold remains the core, while silver provides a potentially lucrative, albeit riskier, addition for those willing to navigate its ups and downs.