One of the unique characteristics of silver among other commodities is that you can invest in it by actually buying the stuff, as you can buy gold coins and bars for investment purposes. Most dealers that sell gold generally offer silver coins and bars as well.
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100-ounce silver bar: If you’re interested in something substantial, you can buy a 100-ounce silver bar. Before buying it, check the bar to make sure that it’s pure silver (you want 99 percent purity or above).
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Silver maple coins: These coins, which are a product of the Royal Canadian Mint, are the standard for silver coins around the world. Each coin represents 1 ounce of silver and has a purity of 99.99 percent, making it the most pure silver coin on the market.
The term sterling silver refers to a specific silver alloy that contains 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper (other base metals are occasionally used as well). Pure silver is sometimes alloyed with another metal, such as copper, to make it stronger and more durable.
Just remember that if you’re considering silver jewelry as an investment, sterling silver won’t give you as much value in the long term as pure silver.