Silver is two things at once
Silver is held as a precious-metal asset like gold, but it is also consumed industrially, in solar panels, electrical contacts, medical and brazing alloys, and a long tail of smaller uses. When the global industrial cycle is strong, demand pulls silver one way; when investment money rotates between precious metals and other assets, it pulls another. That is why silver typically moves more than gold in percentage terms.
The gold–silver ratio
A common shorthand is the gold-to-silver ratio: how many ounces of silver one ounce of gold buys. Historically the ratio has wandered between about 30:1 (silver strong) and 100:1 (silver weak), with the long-run average closer to 60:1. When the ratio is high, silver looks cheap relative to gold; when it is low, silver looks rich. The ratio is descriptive, not predictive, but it is a useful single number to track.
The dollar and the gold market
Silver is priced in US dollars globally, so a stronger pound usually means lower headline GBP silver prices and vice versa, all else equal. Silver also tracks gold loosely. Most of the precious-metal investment flow goes into gold first, with silver following on with sharper moves. A gold rally over months usually drags silver up; a gold sell-off usually drags silver down.
What this means for UK sellers
Silver is more volatile, so the headline GBP/oz number you see today may be quite different in a fortnight. Sterling silver is also priced at a heavier discount to spot than gold is to its spot, refining lower-purity silver into investment-grade metal is comparatively more expensive, so the per-gram buyer rate is well below the headline ounce price. None of that is a reason to wait or rush; it is a reason to take the indicative figure today, weigh it against the offer, and decide.
Common questions
Should I sell silver now or wait?
No one, including us, can reliably predict silver. The honest answer is: take a current indicative figure, accept or decline, and treat the market like the weather rather than a strategy.
Why is the per-gram buyer rate so far below silver spot?
Industrial-grade refining and the lower-purity feedstock of consumer silver mean a larger margin than gold. The same is true at most reputable buyers.
Does GoldPaid track the live silver price?
Yes. Final offers use the live market on the day we assay, not the rate from last week.