Without question the prominent performer among the precious metals complex in 2011 has been silver. While gold is the metal that steals the spotlights, it is silver ( which is commonly referred to as "poor man's gold" ) that has caught the headlines.  While silver is certainly the more unsteady of the two metals, investors willing to tolerate this would have enjoyed superior returns. The simple indicator of its galvanizing performance compared with its safe-haven counterpart is encapsulated in the much watched gold / silver proportion that has recently fallen to levels of roughly 1:39, the lowest since October 1983, and down from 1:65 at assorted stages last year. When the gold / silver proportion falls, it suggests that silver is outperforming gold, and vice-versa. In terms of downright performance, the metal has gained roughly 22% so far this year while gold has risen just 1%.  Actually if you are contented to ride out the volatility then silver, at least in the near term, seems to be a better investment than gold. The outperformance has been obvious for some time, with silver in Australian dollar terms rallying 17.4% in 2011, while gold is up just 2 percent. On a day to day basis, reports flow that would end in appreciation in both precious metals would usually see silver outperform gold due to its more speculative nature and lower cost.  Why has silver been rallying?  Central banks around the planet have turned into net buyers of silver and the Chinese are amassing it for diversification reasons. In 2010 China imported more than 100 million ounces, and given there's roughly 700-800 million ounces in circulation, the metal may be considered really tightly held. Traders are presently taking silver due to its perception as a safe haven, nevertheless it will also gain when business expansion is robust due to its business uses, while gold as a rule will struggle in times of commercial wealth. Availability restrictions are also helping with the supply / demand picture putting more upward stress on silver costs than gold.  Peter Barnes Head honcho of Silver Wheaton ( one of the largest producers of the metal in the world ) recently advised he sees silver costs around US$50 / oz in the next few years and won't think about hedging till then. Deutsche Bank seems to agree, suggesting silver could reach $43.75 by 4Q11 ( a 22% appreciation in Dollars terms ).  Trading opportunities and firms to watch  Re trading opportunities, there are a couple of options. You could trade CFDs over physical silver which is very convenient, or you could look to buy CFDs over silver firms. There are only a few silver firms on the ASX, but the largest pure play silver miner is a corporation called Cobar Consolidated Resources ( CCU ).  Cobar Consolidated is an Australian mine developer on the way to changing into a internationally major silver producer thru development of the Wonawinta silver project south of Cobar in Western New South Wales. It is an fascinating area for investment in mineral exploration and mining. It is characterised by high grade, long-life, multi-metal deposits, has good structure, an experienced work force and an entrenched mining convention.  Since its Aug 2010 lows of 13c, Cobar has risen nearly ten times, hitting highs of $1.09 on the back of the rising silver cost. Currently, CCU is preparing to pour its first silver bar in December this year. The company has agreed to $22 million of project financing with two banks and is in final negotiations with two mining contractors for the development of the plant.  The company believes that there's significant exploration potential in what's left of its apartment buildings, especially to the north of Wonawinta, at Gundaroo. Fresh reinterpretation of earlier gravity info has thrown new light on the potentiality of this area. The company will be flying an air-borne geophysical survey in Apr and will use the results to target its next round of exploration drilling in the next few months.  Its original vision was to discover another world class base metal orebody in the Cobar basin. That vision is alive today and remains its "light on the hill".  Have a view on silver or CCU? Take a CFD Trading position.  It appears that once a trend has been settled, it's got a inclination to remain in position for some time. So no matter what your view, you can exploit these moves with commodity CFDs.  Keen on taking a CFD position on a silver miners ' shares? You can go long or short on with some of the lowest margins and commission in the country. Commodity Trading with CFDs also allow you to trade a wide variety of other metals and energies, learn more today.