For centuries silver has always played "second fiddle" to its "prettier, more popular cousin," gold. While gold has continued to be the precious metal that everybody wants, loves and adores, wise investors are now beginning to take a good look at the value of silver in a diversified portfolio.

Here’s why: As the entire world continues to rapidly advance into the realms of modern day, state of the art technology, medical research and infrastructure building, silver is duly noted as a far more useful metal that touches all our lives on a moment to moment basis.

The basic science of silver is simple. It possesses the highest conductivity of electricity than any other element, as well as the highest thermal conductivity than any other metal known to man.

In the ancient world, silver was often valued above gold, not just for it’s easily malleable properties which made for such beautiful and ornate works of art and jewelry, but for the mythological beliefs that it mystically possessed the luminary powers of the moon, just as much of the ancient world believed that gold supernaturally retained the metaphysical essence of the sun.

As the progressive value and utilization of silver continues to increase with each passing day, especially in the industries of energy, medicine and technology, smart investors are beginning to see beyond the mere shine and allure of gold’s facade to realize that silver is   actually doing more and more to enrich our lives as well as our portfolios.

In a forward thinking effort toward “Green Technology,” Apple Corporation is already moving towards the next generation of batteries that will be used to energize everything from “Ipods to laptops” and silver will be a major component of those long life batteries.

So beyond the traditional usages of silver, such as: coinage, photography, jewelry, dentistry, art, cutlery, silverware and table settings, silver continues to play a larger and larger part in the research, development and production of batteries, bearings, brazing and soldering, catalysts, as well as it’s increasingly expanding role in electronics, fusion and nuclear reactors, medical applications, mirrors & coatings, solar energy, water purification, as well as one of the most effective catalysts.

These days, for many investors, gold is simply not an option, with it currently being priced out of reach.