The price of silver on Monday was September 29, 2025

Historical silver performance 

Investing in silver isn't a path to rapid wealth. Historically, it has significantly lagged behind conventional stocks over extended periods. From 1921 to the present, silver's value has dropped by approximately 96% when compared to the S&P 500. This means that an equal investment in both stocks and silver made simultaneously would result in the silver portion being worth 96% less today than the stock portion. 

However, silver is viewed as a relatively secure and dependable investment that can assist in safeguarding your wealth. It's occasionally referred to as a “store of value.” This metal generally holds its worth during inflationary times, making the conversion of your cash into silver akin to using a cryogenic chamber to store your assets when inflation is a concern. 

Silver exhibits greater volatility compared to gold. Gold primarily functions as a store of wealth, whereas silver finds extensive application in various industries, such as electronics and medical equipment. Consequently, silver's worth is more closely tied to industrial needs. 

What does “spot silver” mean? 

In essence, the “spot silver” price represents the theoretical immediate value for selling or purchasing silver. However, it's vital to understand that purchasers typically incur costs exceeding the spot price when acquiring silver, due to additional expenses like markups, delivery charges, and insurance.  

Investors track the real-time demand and trends for silver by observing its spot price, which serves as a benchmark. An elevated spot price indicates increased demand. 

What does “price spread” signify in the context of silver trading? 

Silver's “price spread” refers to the difference between the price at which it's bought and the price at which it's sold. You should be aware of two terms: 

• Ask price (what you’ll pay to purchase silver). 
• Bid price (what you’ll earn when selling your silver). 

The bid price, as anticipated, falls below the ask price. A tighter bid-ask spread indicates a greater demand for silver. 

How to invest in silver 

There are numerous ways to invest in silver. You might opt for collecting physical silver, or, more frequently, you can invest in silver exchange-traded funds (ETFs).  

This option lets you purchase stakes in a fund that owns silver, so you won't need to handle its storage and insurance. 

Popular silver investment options include: 

• Silver bullion. Sold as bars or rounds, you can purchase these by weight and purity. 
• Silver coins. Although coins and rounds share a resemblance, coins are officially minted by governments. Numerous silver coin choices often carry a higher price tag than typical bullion, such as the American Silver Eagle and Silver Maple Leaf, owing to elements like scarcity and governmental endorsement. 
• Silver jewelry. Silver crafted into jewelry prices above silver bullion of equal purity. 
• Silver mining stocks. Purchasing stock in a company that mines silver allows you to bet on silver without owning any metals yourself. 

When trading silver investments like bullion and coins on exchange platforms, they must adhere to the “three nines fine” rule. Silver that is below 99.9% purity is generally classified as either a collectible or industrial-grade material. 

Now might be a good moment to consider investing in silver. 

In 2025, silver has performed strongly, increasing by almost 25% since the start of the year. Its current price is the highest it's been in the last ten years. 

Still, the answer as to whether now is a good time to invest in silver is subjective. 

If you're concerned about rising inflation, incorporating precious metals into your investments could be a wise decision. Alternatively, if you anticipate a significant rise in silver's demand, possibly due to the growing adoption of environmentally friendly technologies like solar panels that utilize silver, which could boost its worth, purchasing silver may be a sensible option.

Precious metals rates at 8:15 a.m. ET on September 29, 2025

Investors also favor gold, platinum, and palladium. Platinum and palladium generally exhibit volatility akin to silver. Their global market is smaller than gold's, which means minor market shifts can lead to substantial price swings. 

Gold, meanwhile, tends to be less volatile overall than these metals.

The takeaway 

Given the current unusual economic uncertainty in the U.S., you might be considering precious metals for investment. This year, silver has shown greater growth than gold, and certain analysts anticipate a significant surge in the near future, potentially pushing silver prices to unprecedented levels once more. 

Silver presents a highly accessible investment option, particularly when contrasted with gold's cost. For those hesitant to possess physical coins or bars, alternatives like silver ETFs or silver mining stocks offer a way to capitalize on the anticipated surge in silver's value, as foreseen by experts. 

Frequently asked questions