What to know about the price of silver this January
Whether you're a seasoned investor or just a beginner, you likely have heard about the remarkable and continuous growth in the gold market. The price of gold has surpassed numerous price records in recent years, surging past both the $3,000 and $4,000 per ounce records just in 2025. And it could realistically hit the $5,000 per ounce mark in 2026. In this climate, you'd be forgiven for overlooking a credible and cost-effective precious metal alternative: silver.
But that would be a mistake, especially for those investors who need the portfolio protections silver can offer without having to pay the exorbitant price gold mandates now. Before getting started, however, there are some important (and timely) things to know about silver's price now. By understanding these items, investors can find a better role for silver in their larger portfolio and potentially turn a quick profit, too. Below, we'll break down four things to know about the price of silver this January.
Get invested in silver before the price rises again now.
What to know about the price of silver this January
An informed investor is often a more successful one. To boost your chances of silver success this month (and in the months and years that follow), it can help to first know these four items:
It's been consistently breaking records
Gold isn't the only precious metal to consistently break price records. Silver has, too. Priced at just $28.92 per ounce on January 1, 2025, the metal was priced at $81.27 per ounce this week. That's a difference of $52, approximately, in just over a year. Put another way, silver is up by around 180% in just one year. That makes it a smart investment for many right now and an already profitable one for those who got started with the metal in 2024 or 2025. And there are signs that the price surge could soon continue.
Learn how much silver you should invest in here.
It could be poised to break another one shortly
Many of the drivers that caused gold's price to rise can and have caused silver's price to increase, too. And those factors, like the need for a hedge against inflation and geopolitical uncertainty, remain relevant this January. And with neither likely to change dramatically in the upcoming weeks, silver's price surge could continue unabated.
However, this means that acting aggressively may be your best approach. Despite some minor (and temporary) declines, precious metal prices tend to rise over time, meaning that the price you can buy silver for right now may be the best one you'll ever get. At the same time, don't overbuy either (experts recommend limiting the precious metal portion of your portfolio to 10%).
It's a cost-effective alternative to gold
While there are viable ways to invest in gold without paying today's top price, they're becoming less realistic for the average investor. Priced at close to $4,500 per ounce now, many may already be priced out of the gold market, perhaps permanently. But silver is a cost-effective alternative that offers many of the same benefits at a fraction of the cost.
Still, as noted, the price trajectory here is an upward one. So if you want to add a silver component to your investment portfolio, it makes sense to act quickly. While it will take time for silver to approach gold's current price, it's not advantageous to wait for the price to rise much higher, either.
There's an opportunity to turn a quick profit
Gold and silver, traditionally, have been considered income protectors versus income producers. And that's still typically the smart way to approach either. But with such consistent and considerable increases in price, there is a timely opportunity here for those who want to turn a quick profit via a silver investment.
If you had purchased the metal just in September 2025, for example, you would have doubled your investment just by this week. So, if you're looking to test the precious metal investing climate and prefer to just turn a quick profit before market conditions change, silver could offer a viable way to do just that.
The bottom line
Silver is always worth researching as a viable investment, but especially now, at the start of 2026. With a price that's consistently breaking records but not too high to block out investors who are looking for an affordable entry price point, silver can be the precious metal worth adding to your portfolio now. Not only is it positioned to rise again, but there's even an opportunity to turn a quick profit, if managed correctly. Take the time, then, to review your silver investing options closely right now. This may be one of the better times in recent history to get started with the metal.
