If you've been paying attention to precious metals lately, you already know silver has been on a remarkable run. And if you haven't been watching — now is a good time to start.
Where Silver Stands Today
Silver, the chemical element with atomic number 47, recently climbed above $75 per troy ounce, up nearly 135% compared to this same time last year. That's not a typo. This precious metal has more than doubled in price over the past twelve months, driven by a combination of industrial demand, a weakening US dollar, and global uncertainty pushing investors toward tangible assets.
As of this week, silver prices are trading around $78 per ounce, holding steady as the market weighs geopolitical headlines against a powerful industrial demand story. For context, silver was sitting around $30 an ounce just two years ago. The move has been swift and significant.
Why Is Silver Moving So Fast?
A few things are happening at once. The Silver Institute projects a 2026 supply shortfall of 46.3 million ounces — the sixth consecutive annual supply deficit — while industrial demand from solar panels, electric vehicles, 5G infrastructure, and semiconductor manufacturers continues to grow relentlessly.
That combination of shrinking silver production and exploding industrial demand is a powerful price driver. Silver isn't just a collector's metal anymore. It's a critical industrial input, and the industries that need it most are growing fast.
Geopolitical tensions, persistent supply deficits, and safe-haven investment interest have all fueled the rally in silver prices, and analysts don't see those pressures easing anytime soon.
What About the Next 10 Years?
Nobody can predict silver prices with certainty — anyone who tells you otherwise is guessing. But the fundamentals that are driving prices today are long-term trends, not short-term noise.
Some forecasts project silver reaching well above $120 per ounce by mid-2028 if current momentum continues. Looking further out, the green energy transition alone could sustain demand for decades. Solar panels require silver. Electric vehicles require silver. The infrastructure being built right now to power the next generation of technology runs on silver.
Some models project silver reaching above $87 by the end of 2026 alone, which would represent another meaningful jump from where prices sit today.
A 10-year outlook with silver somewhere between $100 and $200 per ounce is not an unreasonable range given where demand is headed — though markets are unpredictable and prices can move in both directions.
What This Means for Coin Collectors
This is where it gets interesting for people who hold pre-1965 US silver coins. Those dimes, quarters, and half dollars already contain 90% silver. At $30 an ounce a few years ago, a silver dime had a melt value of around $2.17. At $75 an ounce that same dime is worth over $5.40 in silver content alone — and that number keeps climbing as spot price rises.
The coins going into every Stars and Cents Silver Coin Candle are genuine US silver currency. When you burn one of our candles down and find your coin at the bottom, you're holding something that tracks directly with the silver market. It's not a token or a novelty — it's real metal with real and growing value.
Silver as a Store of Value
Silver has long been considered a store of value, prized for its ability to preserve purchasing power when inflation rises. In an environment where the dollar has been under pressure and inflation has remained stubbornly present, that quality matters more than ever to everyday people looking for something tangible to hold onto.
You don't have to be a serious investor to appreciate silver. Sometimes it's as simple as burning a candle, finding a coin, and knowing you're holding a little piece of something real.
That's exactly why we built Stars and Cents the way we did.
Shop our Silver Coin Candle collection and find your coin today.
What is 1 oz of silver worth right now?
As of today, 1 oz of silver is trading around $78, reflecting its status as a valuable precious metal influenced by supply shortages and growing industrial demand.