Silver is both a precious metal and an industrial commodity, traded on the CME COMEX exchange. Silver has been used as currency and jewelry for thousands of years, but unlike gold, roughly 50% of silver demand comes from industrial applications including electronics, solar panels, electric vehicles, and medical devices. This dual nature makes silver more volatile than gold.
Silver prices are driven by gold price movements (silver tends to amplify gold moves), industrial demand particularly from solar panel manufacturing and EV production, mine supply and recycling, investment demand (ETF flows, retail coin/bar buying), and the gold-silver ratio which historically mean-reverts. Green energy transition is a structural demand driver.
Silver is nicknamed 'the devil's metal' due to its extreme volatility. It moves 1.5-2x the percentage of gold in both directions. The gold-silver ratio above 80 historically signals silver is undervalued. Silver has a smaller market than gold, making it more susceptible to speculative squeezes. Retail investor interest spikes during precious metals rallies.
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Common questions about Silver (SI=F)