Silver & Industrial Metals

What this unit covers

Understand silver's dual identity, part precious metal and part industrial input, and why it behaves differently from gold even though they are often grouped together.

By the end you will be able to

• Explain why silver reacts to both fear and economic demand, while gold mainly reacts to fear.
• Describe why silver does not always move the way gold does.
• Apply the habit of asking what an asset is used for before assuming it behaves like others in its category.

How it starts: Two Metals, One Shelf

1. You hold gold and silver in the same savings folder.
2. This month gold is flat, but silver has moved 6 percent.
3. No news of fear or crisis explains the move, so what moved it?

Words you will meet

Precious metal

A metal such as gold or silver valued mainly for safety, savings or ornament rather than daily industrial use.

Industrial demand

The need for a raw material from factories and manufacturing, separate from any investment or safety motive.

In this module: Gold, Silver & Alternative Investments

1. Why Gold Matters
2. Silver & Industrial Metals (this unit)
3. REITs & InvITs
4. Digital Assets
5. Real Estate as an Asset Class