Density of silver

The density of silver is most commonly stated as 10.49 grams per cubic centimetre. This makes it less dense than Gold, which is one of the densest elements at 19.32 grams per cubic centimetre. The density difference means that an ounce of gold would be almost half the size of an ounce of silver in terms of volume.

While perhaps not as impressive as gold or platinum, the density of silver is still high compared to many of the metals we encounter in our daily lives, and especially those used in circulating coins. The density of silver means a coin or bar can look deceptively small, before picking it up shows the impressive weight.

Density can be defined as the ratio between an object’s mass and volume. Scientifically, this would be the 'unit mass per unit volume', and is usually quoted in grams per cubic centimetre.

This is also known as ‘specific gravity’, which is a unified ratio of density with water. Silver’s specific gravity is 10.49. This means that you would need more than ten times the equivalent volume of water to have the same weight in silver, as illustrated below:

A visualisation of how much water you would need to achieve the same mass as a cube of silver.

Fine silver, rated at 99% purity, is soft and easily damaged. For practical use it is usually hardened by mixing with other metals. Silver alloys, like Sterling Silver, still have a bright attractive lustre but do tarnish.

Silver alloys are classified in terms of parts per 1,000. In this millesimal system, pure silver is 999, Britannia silver is 958 and Sterling silver is 925, which means 925 parts in 1,000 parts are pure silver. Hallmarks on silver follow this system and Sterling silver, for example, is stamped with the number 925.

The density of a silver alloy then, will vary, dependant on the different metals used.

Silver density chart

Below is our silver density chart, showing a number of useful measurement types for quoting the density of silver: