Gold vs. Silver — What's the Difference?

Gold is a dense, bright yellow metal highly valued for its aesthetic and economic properties.

Silver is a white, highly reflective metal known for its conductivity.

In technology, gold is used in high-end electronics due to its excellent conductivity.

Historically, silver has been used in photography for its light-sensitive properties.

Gold is often used as a hedge against inflation and economic downturns.

Silver is utilized in various industrial applications beyond jewelry.

Historically, gold has been used in coins and as a standard for currency.

Its lower price makes silver a popular choice for investors and collectors.

It is chemically inert, making it ideal for jewelry that doesn't tarnish.

It tarnishes when exposed to air, requiring maintenance to retain its shine.

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from Latin: aurum) and atomic number 79, making it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. In a pure form, it is a bright, slightly reddish yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal.

Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin argentum, derived from the Proto-Indo-European h₂erǵ: "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal.

A yellow precious metal, the chemical element of atomic number 79, used especially in jewellery and decoration and to guarantee the value of currencies.

Symbol Ag A lustrous white, ductile, malleable metallic element, occurring both uncombined and in ores such as argentite, having the highest thermal and electrical conductivity of the metals. It is highly valued for jewelry, tableware, and other ornamental use and is widely used in coinage, photography, dental and soldering alloys, electrical contacts, and printed circuits. Atomic number 47; atomic weight 107.868; melting point 961.78°C; boiling point 2,162°C; specific gravity 10.50 (20°C); valence 1, 2. See Periodic Table.

A deep lustrous yellow or yellow-brown colour

This metallic element as a commodity or medium of exchange.

Coins or other articles made of gold

Coins made of this metallic element.

The bullseye of an archery target.

A medal made of silver awarded to one placing second in a competition, as in the Olympics.

Symbol Au A soft, yellow, corrosion-resistant element, the most malleable and ductile metal, occurring in veins and alluvial deposits and recovered by mining, panning, or sluicing. A good thermal and electrical conductor, gold is generally alloyed to increase its strength, and it is used as a common monetary standard, in jewelry, for decoration, and as a plated coating on a wide variety of electrical and mechanical components. Atomic number 79; atomic weight 196.967; melting point 1,064.2°C; boiling point 2,856.0°C; specific gravity 19.3; valence 1, 3. See Periodic Table.

Domestic articles, such as tableware, made of or plated with silver.

Coinage made of this element.

Tableware, especially eating and serving utensils, made of steel or another metal.

A gold standard.

A lustrous medium gray.

Money; riches.

A silver salt, especially silver nitrate, used to sensitize paper.

A light olive-brown to dark yellow, or a moderate, strong to vivid yellow.

Made of or containing silver

Something regarded as having great value or goodness

Resembling silver, especially in having a lustrous shine; silvery.

A medal made of gold awarded to one placing first in a competition, as in the Olympics

Of a lustrous medium gray

Having the color of gold.

Having a soft, clear, resonant sound.

(uncountable) A heavy yellow elemental metal of great value, with atomic number 79 and symbol Au.

Eloquent; persuasive

A coin or coinage made of this material, or supposedly so.

Favoring the adoption of silver as a standard of currency

(uncountable) A deep yellow colour, resembling the metal gold.

Of or constituting a 25th anniversary.

(countable) The bullseye of an archery target.

To cover, plate, or adorn with silver or a similar lustrous substance.

(countable) A gold medal.

To give a silver color to.

(figuratively) Anything or anyone that is very valuable.

To coat (photographic paper) with a film of silver nitrate or other silver salt.

A grill jewellery worn on front teeth made of gold.

To become silvery.

Made of gold.

(uncountable) A lustrous, white, metallic element, atomic number 47, atomic weight 107.87, symbol Ag.

Having gold of gold.

Coins made from silver or any similar white metal.

(of commercial services) Premium, superior.

Cutlery and other eating utensils, whether silver or made from some other white metal.

Of a musical recording: having sold 500,000 copies.

Any items made from silver or any other white metal.

In a finished state, ready for manufacturing.

(uncountable) A shiny gray color.

To appear or cause to appear golden.

(countable) a silver medal

Of or referring to a gold version of something

Anything resembling silver; something shiny and white.

An old English name of some yellow flower, - the marigold (Calendula), according to Dr. Prior, but in Chaucer perhaps the turnsole.

Made from silver.

A metallic element of atomic number 79, constituting the most precious metal used as a common commercial medium of exchange. It has a characteristic yellow color, is one of the heaviest substances known (specific gravity 19.32), is soft, and very malleable and ductile. It is quite unalterable by heat (melting point 1064.4° C), moisture, and most corrosive agents, and therefore well suited for its use in coin and jewelry. Symbol Au (Aurum). Atomic weight 196.97.

Made from another white metal.

Money; riches; wealth.

Having a color like silver: a shiny gray.

A yellow color, like that of the metal; as, a flower tipped with gold.

Denoting the twenty-fifth anniversary, especially of a wedding.

Figuratively, something precious or pure; as, hearts of gold.

(of commercial services) Premium, but inferior to gold.

Coins made of gold

Having the clear, musical tone of silver; soft and clear in sound.

A deep yellow color;

To acquire a silvery colour.

A soft yellow malleable ductile (trivalent and univalent) metallic element; occurs mainly as nuggets in rocks and alluvial deposits; does not react with most chemicals but is attacked by chlorine and aqua regia

To cover with silver, or with a silvery metal.

Great wealth;

To polish like silver; to impart a brightness to, like that of silver.

Something likened to the metal in brightness or preciousness or superiority etc.;

To make hoary, or white, like silver.

Made from or covered with gold;

A soft white metallic element, sonorous, ductile, very malleable, and capable of a high degree of polish. It is found native, and also combined with sulphur, arsenic, antimony, chlorine, etc., in the minerals argentite, proustite, pyrargyrite, ceragyrite, etc. Silver is one of the "noble" metals, so-called, not being easily oxidized, and is used for coin, jewelry, plate, and a great variety of articles. Symbol Ag (Argentum). Atomic weight 107.7. Specific gravity 10.5.

Having the deep slightly brownish color of gold;

Coin made of silver; silver money.

Anything having the luster or appearance of silver.

The color of silver.

Of or pertaining to silver; made of silver; as, silver leaf; a silver cup.

Precious; costly.

To cover with silver; to give a silvery appearance to by applying a metal of a silvery color; as, to silver a pin; to silver a glass mirror plate with an amalgam of tin and mercury.

To polish like silver; to impart a brightness to, like that of silver.

To make hoary, or white, like silver.

To acquire a silvery color.

A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography

Coins made of silver

A light shade of gray

Silverware eating utensils

A medal made of silver (or having the appearance of silver) that is usually awarded for winning second place in a competition

Coat with a layer of silver or a silver amalgam;

Make silver in color;

Turn silver;

Made from or largely consisting of silver;

Having the white lustrous sheen of silver;

Lustrous gray; covered with or tinged with the color of silver;

Expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively;

Gold is rarer and has a higher demand, particularly for investment and jewelry, which drives up its price.

Yes, both are subject to market fluctuations influenced by economic factors, though gold typically experiences higher volatility.

Gold's softness and tarnish resistance make it ideal for jewelry, while silver's conductivity makes it essential in various technologies.

Both serve as investments and reserves that can stabilize currency value, with gold being particularly prominent in reserve assets.

Silver is used in electronics, solar panels, and formerly in photography due to its excellent conductivity and light sensitivity.

Investing in precious metals can be a wise choice, but it depends on individual financial goals and market understanding.

Keeping silver items clean and storing them in tarnish-preventive bags or with silica gel can minimize exposure to tarnishing agents.

Yes, mining these metals can have significant environmental impacts, including habitat destruction and water pollution, prompting calls for responsible sourcing practices.

Their historical roles as currency and luxury goods have cemented their status as symbols of wealth and security.

Silver reacts with sulfur compounds in the air causing tarnish, whereas gold's chemical inertness prevents such reactions.