Silver on Friday surpassed the symbolic threshold of $75 an ounce for the very first time, as precious and industrial metals reach unprecedented highs at year-end, driven in particular by economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
Silver climbed to a peak of $75.1515 an ounce (31.1 g) on Friday.
Gold also hit a record high at $4,531.04 an ounce.
Since January, gold has surged by nearly 70% and silver by more than 150%, marking their strongest annual performances since 1979.
These metals are considered safe-haven assets, meaning long-term stores of value, purchased in particular by central banks and individuals to hedge against uncertainty.
The US dollar and US Treasury bonds, usually rival safe-haven assets to precious metals, have meanwhile lost some of their appeal this year.
Uncertainty linked to the presidency of Donald Trump has largely contributed to this weakening, further reinforced recently by the prospect of new interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve (Fed), which would make the greenback less attractive.
Investors are also concerned about public debt in major countries and the risk of a bubble in the artificial intelligence sector.
