A coating composition comprising low sodium containing colloidal silicas and ink jet recording sheets prepared from such coatings are described. The coating comprises binder and colloidal silica preferably having an average particle size in the range of about 1 to about 300 nanometers and which has a solids to alkali metal ratio of at least the sum of AW(−0.013SSA+9), AW being the atomic weight of alkali metal present in the colloidal silica and SSA being the specific surface area of the silica. It has been discovered that if the alkali metal, e.g., sodium, content of colloidal silica is reduced, coatings prepared from such colloidal silica and applied to conventional ink jet recording sheet supports provide a specular gloss of at least 30 at 60° C., even at a relatively high silica solids to binder solids ratio of 1:1 or greater.