The gold-silver ratio divides the gold ounce price by the silver ounce price. It is a relative indicator that positions silver against gold, without giving a fixed value or, on its own, a buy or sell signal.
The gold-silver ratio is obtained by dividing the gold ounce price by the silver ounce price, expressed in the same currency and the same unit (the troy ounce). A ratio of 80 means it takes 80 ounces of silver to match the value of one ounce of gold. As it compares two prices, it has no unit: it is a simple ratio.
This ratio varies constantly since the two metals move independently. Historically it has reached very different levels across eras. It is therefore not a constant but a shifting benchmark. To understand the prices that make it up, our guide on the silver ounce price in euros explains how to track them.
The ratio mainly serves to position whether silver is expensive or cheap relative to gold. A high ratio suggests silver is lowly valued against gold; a low ratio, the opposite. Some investors use it to arbitrate between the two metals, comparing the current level to its historical range.
It is a relative indicator, not an absolute one: it says nothing about the euro price of your silver, nor about the amount you will get at buyback. Nor is it investment advice. A ratio favourable to silver guarantees neither a rise nor a good buyback price: it only sheds light on the balance between the two metals at a given moment.
For a silver seller, the ratio is one piece of context among others, to cross-check with the trend of the silver price itself and your own needs. It helps reflect on timing, not on setting a price. Your item's value always remains the fine weight multiplied by the day's price, minus the professional's margin.
Bear in mind that no one predicts prices with certainty. Rather than waiting for an "ideal" ratio, focus on what you control: correctly identifying your silver, knowing its fine weight and comparing offers. Our silver buyback page lets you put several professionals in competition at the moment you choose.
Not necessarily. A high ratio indicates silver is lowly valued against gold, which does not mean a good buyback price in euros. The ratio is a relative indicator, to be cross-checked with the trend of the silver price.
No. The ratio provides no figure in euros. The value of your silver is calculated from the fine weight multiplied by the day's price. The ratio only serves to position silver relative to gold.