Vintage Silver 800 Bracelet with Amethyst Stones

800 silver refers to a silver alloy that is 80% pure. Pure silver is very soft and easily damaged, so for most practical purposes silver is mixed (alloyed) with other metals in order to strengthen it. An 1884 German law made 800 fineness the minimum accepted national standard for products claiming to be silver. Sterling silver means that it is 92.5% silver purity and is more used in fine jewelry today.