One week later, the year-to-date lows for both metals trickled in. Even mega-cap miner Goldcorp Inc. (TSX:G; NYSE:GG) has tacked on more than 30% since then, while the real superstars have been the silver miners. Silver Standard Resources and Silvercorp Metals have gained more than 50%, and my top-10 pick Great Panther Silver Ltd. (TSX:GPR; NYSE.A:GPL) has two-bagged�all in less than three months' time. Market commentators were quick to suggest an array of real-time drivers responsible for gold's breakout surge, collectively offering: Portugal's credit downgrade and overall eurozone distress, the budget impasse on Capitol Hill and associated unease over a potential government shutdown, persistent unrest in the Middle East and, of course, the evidence of inflationary concerns observed both in China's rate hike and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's rhetoric.