800 silver is a type of silver that is common with foreign silver pieces from Germany, Italy, and other countries. Below we'll provide more detail about this silver type and how to find its markings and value.
What Is 800 Silver?
800 silver is real silver with a relatively high purity. The number 800 refers to its level of purity, and it means that your silver item is 80% silver and 20% alloy. This number system is an easy way to tell an item's purity. Another example is 900 silver which is equal to 90% silver.
One of the advantages of 800 silver is that it's more durable than the higher-purity alternatives. This is one reason why there is a lot of 800 silver spoons, knifes, and other flatware.
How to Find Markings
Markings are easy to spot for any type of silver piece. You should clearly see the number 800 engraved on the piece. If you have a piece of jewelry then the number may be smaller and more concealed, but it should still be visible.
The Value of Your 800 Silver
In order to get the melt value of your 800 silver piece, you'll need to multiply the total ounces of silver by the spot price of silver. We make this easy for you with our free scrap silver calculator. All you need to do is load up the calculator, select 800 from the purity dropdown box, enter the weight of your item, and then click the "calculate" button.
It's good to know the value of your silver item. If you were ever going to sell your item then you should definitely know the scrap metal value.
Alternatives
Silver items come in all different types of purities. Below we will review two of the more popular alternatives to 800 silver.
925 Silver
The main alternative to 800 silver is 925 silver. Also known as sterling silver, 925 silver is one of the most popular types of silver for several reasons. It's close to being pure silver so it will look nice and shiny, but it still has 7.5% alloy so it's harder and more durable then fine silver. This makes it a great choice for jewelry.
In addition, sterling silver is one of the most recognizable types of silver. People everywhere know what sterling silver is which can make it a little easier to sell your silver.
999 Silver
999 silver is fine silver and it's 20% purer than 800 silver. Silver is a softer metal so pure silver is less durable and thus more prone to scratches and dents. For this reason fine silver is not a popular choice for jewelry. One of the main advantages of this type is that it takes up less space so therefore it's the best option if you want to buy silver bullion.