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Silver

Investment metal, jewellery and increasingly in demand in electronics: silver

Properties of silver

Silver, along with gold, is one of the best-known investment metals. The metal is often made into jewellery, but is also increasingly in demand in industry. Silver was already used as an important means of exchange and payment in ancient times. Sometimes it was even more valuable than gold. Silver has been mined and processed since the 5th century B.C. . The current annual production is about 25,000 tonnes. The largest producer is Mexico with a share of almost 20 percent, followed by Peru with 16 percent and China with 13 percent.

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Applications for silver

Besides private investors and the jewellery industry, silver is gaining in importance with ever new industrial applications. In 2021, industry was responsible for over 60 percent of global demand. One of the most promising applications is in photovoltaics, which is important for achieving climate goals. Almost 14 percent of the total demand for silver can be attributed to the production of solar modules. The reason for this is that silver is an excellent conductor of electricity and heat.

In addition, a strong expansion in demand can be expected, especially in e-mobility. Compared to combustion engines, hybrid or e-cars need up to three times more silver. So the more solar energy and e-cars are produced in the future, the stronger the demand for precious and industrial metal will increase.

The outstanding conductivities of silver make it a sought-after raw material for electronics, for example in photovoltaics.

Physical Asset Silver

Worth Knowing

Among all precious metals, silver has the highest conductivity, colour brightness, the best polishability and the best reflectivity. Silver is becoming more and more popular as a financial investment; it is considered stable in value and crisis-proof. And it also plays an interesting role at the Olympic Games: because according to the specifications of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the gold medals must consist of at least 92.5% silver. The rest then consists of gold.
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