Gold vs. Silver: 3 Differences that Matter the Most
So, you’ve decided you’d like to diversify your investment portfolio and invest in some precious metals. But what do you choose, gold, silver, or both? What are the differences between them?
Both gold and silver are similar in the sense that they are precious metals. However, when it comes to investing, there are vast differences between the precious metals. Let’s examine this further:
Gold Price is Less Volatile
Silver’s price fluctuates significantly more than gold. There is much more supply of silver than gold. On average, there are roughly a billion ounces of silver each year. In contrast, there are around 120 million ounces of gold each year.
However, there is a greater demand for gold, and it has a substantially higher price; the market value of the gold supply is much greater than silver. In 2019, gold had a market value of around $200 billion, compared to only $15 billion for silver.
Therefore, since silver’s market value is so much smaller than gold, fluctuations in price are likely to be much higher.
Silver Needs A Lot More Space
Although silver is more affordable than gold, it also requires a lot more storage space.
If you purchased the same amount in gold and silver, you would acquire 80 more ounces of silver than gold, which would need to be stored. Moreover, gold is denser than silver, and the volume of silver is about 85% larger than gold.
Lastly, unlike gold, silver is going to tarnish with time. Therefore, while gold can be stored anywhere, such as at home or in a bank vault, silver must be stored in a cold and dry place.
Gold Stockpiles Are Rising
In the past, the government used to hold large quantities of silver stockpiles. However, as time has gone by, silver stockpiles have declined with increasing speed. The only countries that have significant silver stockpiles are the US, India, and Mexico. The main reason for this is because silver is no longer used on coinage.
However, most countries have rapidly increased their stockpile of gold. It is estimated that central banks hold over a billion ounces of gold in official Reserves.
Are you interested in private vault storage? At Orion Metal Exchange, we’ve been trading and storing precious metals for more than fifty years. Our clients can expect us to help them secure the best gold coins for investment with us. Contact us now to learn more about investing in gold to make money.
