Kuwait jewelers have widened their counters to accommodate silver bars after a 161% global price surge in 2025 — a move that pushed local purchases up an estimated 20–40% and altered the balance between affordability and store-of-value decisions.
- Price move: Global silver +161% in 2025 (gold ~+66%).
- Typical bar weights: 100 g, 250 g, 500 g, 1 kg; investor lots to multiple tonnes.
- Origin / supply note: China export curbs and five years of production shortfalls.
- Date: Market observations through January 2026.
Market shift in Kuwait
Long treated as a secondary metal, silver now carries a distinct tactile appeal — the cool, vitreous luster and substantial heft of a 1 kg bar are being reframed as accessible savings rather than curiosities. Bader Al‑Ruzaihan of Dar Al Sabaek Group and economic researcher Ahmed Alsuwaiti both place last year’s rally at the center of the change, noting that buyers who once reserved silver for seasonal purchases now buy year‑round.
Why prices climbed
Three supply‑side and demand‑side forces converged in 2025. First, Chinese restrictions on refined silver exports narrowed available global stock, sidelining many smaller exporters. Second, primary silver production has lagged demand for five consecutive years. Third, industrial demand — solar panels, electric vehicles, advanced semiconductors and data centers — has expanded, creating persistent structural pressure. The result is tighter physical availability and faster upward price movement than in recent commodity cycles.
Buyer profiles and resale dynamics
Retail shoppers in Kuwait prefer 100–1,000 g bars for gradual savings and gifting; expatriates and private investors scale up to kilograms or tonnes. Jewelers in Al‑Mubarakiya report rapid turnover — orders of half a ton selling out in days — and a changing view of liquidity: where silver was once considered “easy to buy, hard to sell,” dealers now say kilogram sales can be easier than comparable gold transactions.
Practical caveats from local traders
Experts here still counsel caution. Silver is more volatile than gold; price corrections can be sharp. Ahmad Gad and Ibrahim Ahmed stress the margin gap between bars and jewelry: making charges on silver jewelry can far exceed the metal’s intrinsic value, so bars are recommended for capital preservation. Ahmed Alsuwaiti advises dollar‑cost averaging — regular, smaller purchases to spread entry price risk and build a healthier average cost basis over time.
Context for 2025 trends
Silver’s ascent intersects with two material trends shaping luxury and industrial markets in 2025: sustainability and industrial electrification. As renewable energy deployment and EV production accelerate, silver’s role in conductive and photovoltaic applications anchors its strategic value beyond ornament. For designers, silver’s workable surface and cool sheen support larger, sculptural pieces that reference industrial provenance — a muted aesthetic shift away from ornament toward object.
Why this matters to US retailers and investors
For US jewelers and bullion dealers the takeaway is pragmatic: silver now offers inventory and marketing opportunities distinct from gold. Consider the following operational responses:
- Prioritize verified bars with assay certificates and serial numbers to reduce resale friction and strengthen buyback programs.
- Stock a ladder of weights (100 g to 1 kg) to capture both entry‑level savers and larger investors; emphasize the bar’s “substantial heft” in merchandising copy to communicate intrinsic value.
- Educate customers on why bars outperform jewelry for bullion exposure — lower making charges, direct metal value and clearer resale channels.
- Hedge exposure through staggered purchases and maintain transparent buyback pricing; supply risk (China policy) creates periods of tightness that favor sellers with reliable sourcing.
For investors, silver now sits at the intersection of commodity and industrial demand — a material with practical uses that support long‑term value but with higher short‑term volatility than gold. The prudent strategy remains gradual accumulation, insistence on verified provenance, and alignment of position size with tolerance for price swings.
In Kuwait, the market’s behavioral shift offers an early glimpse of how a credible rally can transform a metal’s retail profile: from small, seasonal purchase to a traded, year‑round asset with clear appeal for young savers and price‑sensitive investors.
Image Referance: https://kuwaittimes.com/article/38527/lifestyle/art-fashion/silver-takes-center-stage/