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While gold and gold investing may have felt ubiquitous in recent years, in the past few months, silver has nudged the precious metal out of the spotlight a bit. Despite gold’s big price gains, the price of silver has also surged since the start of 2025, up around 200% year over year as it currently hovers just under $100 per ounce. Compare that to the approximate $30 per ounce the metal was worth last year at this time and it becomes obvious why both savvy investors and beginners are clamoring to add silver to their investment portfolio right now.
However, precious metals don’t operate in the same way as other traditional assets do. And there’s often less knowledge about them versus what’s well known with stocks, bonds and real estate. Before getting started with silver, it helps to think through the answers to some important and timely questions. This can better inform both your initial approach and your long-term plans for the metal. Below, we’ll break down four big ones to consider right now.
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4 silver investing questions to ask right now
Silver could make sense for your portfolio now … or you may want to pivot to other assets instead. To best decide on your next steps, consider the answers to these four questions now:
Will the price drop in a significant way?
Silver’s price can and often will drop over time, perhaps more significantly than gold’s will. But that doesn’t mean that it will decline in such a way as to be worth $30 again, either. Precious metal prices, historically, tend to rise relatively straight upward.
That’s one of the reasons why investors use it as a hedge against inflation and portfolio diversifier, as it tends to maintain its value and even rise when other assets falter. And, historically, price drops here tend to be minimal and infrequent. Waiting, then, for a much lower price to justify a buy-in may not make sense, and it could actually lead to you being priced out of the metal entirely.
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Should it take the place of gold in your portfolio?
Gold and silver serve similar portfolio functions, but they’re not identical, and there are some key differences investors need to know before getting started with either. So while it may be tempting to ditch your gold investments and solely focus on silver right now, the answer to this question is more nuanced.
Ideally, you can mix your precious metal investments between both, focusing more on the one that makes the most sense for your long-term investing goals. But totally superseding gold may not be advantageous, especially if the price there continues to rise. Getting rid of gold now could mean getting rid of it permanently, especially if it soon surpasses the $5,000 per ounce mark, as many expect. Be careful, then, with how much silver you ultimately purchase.
Which type makes the most sense for you?
Like gold, there are multiple silver investment types to familiarize yourself with. From silver bars and coins to silver IRAs to silver ETFs, not each type will benefit you. And some could even hurt your wider portfolio as they require more knowledge and maintenance than others. Consider speaking with a precious metals professional, then, who can help you tailor your silver investments in a way that makes the most sense for your budget and goals. And avoid just buying physical silver, which comes with its own unique series of pros and cons right now.
Should I overbuy before the price rises again?
Overbuying any asset is always risky, even if the temptation to do so with silver, as the price continues to surge, is understandable right now. But that should generally be avoided as precious metals operate better as income protectors versus income producers. And they should typically be capped at 10% of your overall portfolio to better allow stocks and bonds to grow as intended.
So, overbuying silver before the price rises again shouldn’t be the move. Instead, find where silver fits appropriately in your portfolio now, then buy the correct amount before any major price changes require you to recalculate your holdings.
The bottom line
A silver investment has natural appeal in today’s economic climate. Like all investments, however, it pays to be informed and strategic in your approach. And that starts with coming up with real, credible answers to these four questions. Answers here can vary, and there’s no guarantee of success, no matter how you ultimately choose to respond, but by thinking through these questions and speaking with a precious metals expert who can help, you can boost your chances of investment success both during this current price surge and, theoretically, for the months and years still to come.