In this overview you will understand either you got the genuine Tiffany piece or no.Here is what for you to know about Tiffany sterling silver charm bracelets and necklaces-here are a few pointers to identify a genuine Tiffany:
- Tiffany never goes on sale, they do not have an outlet store, and you can't get stuff "wholesale". Tiffany also doesn't have any factories in China, nor do they buy from China. All their jewelry is made in the US, along with some items being made in Italy, Spain and Mexico. Therefore, when you see a seller with numerous "New" Tiffany items, Pay attention!
- The links on any tiffany tag bracelet or tag necklace are not pinched together, they are soldered together and very smooth. You almost can't tell where the link begins or ends.
- The lobster clasp on a Tiffany bracelet or necklace will show excellent workmanship, if it looks like it's a cheapie, it's not Tiffany. In fact, the entire piece should be heavy and feel Solid in your hand. Also, here's a little secret, the lobster clasp will Also be stamped 925, at the base of the clasp.
- Every Tiffany piece is stamped with the Tiffany & Co. mark and the metal mark (e.g. Tiffany & Co. 925, or T & Co. 925) Many pieces are stamped with the date the piece was trademarked, the Tiffany logo, and the metal content, in that order (e.g. 2001 Tiffany & Co. 925). The pieces by artists such as Elsa Peretti, Paloma Picasso, Frank Gehry etc, will be signed as well as stamped. When buying a piece that has a chain and pendant (e.g. the Tiffany bar pendant) BOTH the pendant AND the chain will be marked Tiffany & Co 925, sometimes along with the word ITALY on the other side of the ring clasp in the back.. If the chain is marked but not the pendant, then that pendant is not Tiffany! If the seller hasn't shown the markings in their photos, either ask for additional photos or don't bid.
- Tiffany tag bracelets and are made of .925 sterling silver, and are heavy, if your jewelry feels light in comparison to it's size, beware. Also, Tiffany sterling jewelry will photograph dark silver and even gold colored sometimes, not pure silver or silver-white. There are alot of people out there selling fake Tiffany that's been coated with Rhodium, which gives it a whitish appearance.For instance, look over to the right of this guide, that's right, take a look. See the items that look overly shiny and have lettering that looks white? Those are what you want to avoid. The lettering on a real piece of Tiffany will look dark.
- Tiffany has just come out with an engraved heart tag lifesaver necklace. For those of you who have read my guide in the past, you will know that this used to be a Red Flag for fake tiffany, but not any more! So you're going to have to be more vigilant. First, the engraved heart tag necklaces will not have 925 at the bottom, it will be at the very top of the bail, and it will be small. The top part of these tags will have a large loop for the chain to go through. The older lifesaver tag necklaces will not be engraved.No matter what,it will always be marked on the back.So ask for photos of the back of the tag to be sure.
- The engraving on your return to tiffany bracelet should be completely and totally sharp and clear to read. Also, Tiffany uses a very thin font, if the font on your piece is wide, or if it's unclear or looks sub-par, (all togrther now)… It's not Tiffany!
- This is my best advise: If you're not certain, check the tiffany.com website, compare what the person is selling to what's on the website! Does it look the same? You will save yourself a lot of doubt, worry and money if you just take the time to go to the website. It's very easy to navigate and you can see closeups of the items.
- Make sure the photo is of the actual item, don't be fooled by a photo lifted from the Tiffany website.
- There are many items engraved with "please return to tiffany", and you will need to go to www. tiffany.com to check what you see on ebay against the real deal. Go to "collections" at the top of the page and click on "return to tiffany."
- Be suspicious of any seller who states in their auction that they don't want questions about the authenticity of their item. Any decent seller who wants to make a sale will welcome questions. If their auction tells you not to ask questions, they probably have something to hide. Make sure there are closeups of the item. If not, ask for closeup photos to be sent to you.
- Always check a sellers feedback! Don't simply check their feedback number, but look for past buyers who may have also bought Tiffany jewelry from them recently. Check out previous listings! Today I just found a seller who had what looked to be an authentic Tiffany toggle necklace & bracelet set, with a fairly decent story as to why she had these items, so I checked out past items they'd sold.Guess what? They've sold at least three identical sets in the past month!! Now what are the odds of someone having three sets of brand new, never worn Tiffany jewelry? Right.
- Be suspicious of someone saying they got the item but it's just not their style, the recipient already had one, it didn't fit, their girlfriend broke up with them, etc. Tiffany has a generous return policy that allows returns for items purchased within the past 30 days of the receipt. So there is really no reason for an intelligent person to be selling a new piece of Tiffany on ebay, especially in this economy! Also,never buy Tiffany jewlery from someone who keeps their feedback private!! That can be a red flag that they're selling fakes, or have something to hide.
- I am very comlicated of people who sell necklace and bracelet sets. People who have authentic items like that will break up the set and sell them separately, to make more money. If the set or their feedback looks shady, it's highly likely that they've combined a fake set to draw more attention and bidders. In all my time of researching tiffany jewelry on ebay, I've NEVER come across an authentic set. I'm not saying it couldn't happen, just that it's very unlikely.
- In regards to the "double heart" necklaces I've seen floating out there, be aware that the hearts should not be curved in any way, but should be shaped JUST like the hearts on Tiffany's tag necklace and bracelet. ONLY THE LARGER, BOTTOM HEART IS ENGRAVED with Tiffany & Co. The top heart is BLANK! Also, the hearts hang at an angle from the chain, if you're looking at the necklace, the chain should go through the LEFT side of the heart. The fake one's have the chain going through the top of the hearts. Don't fall for those necklaces that have both hearts engraved, or that have "curved" hearts, those AREN'T TIFFANY!
- As far as those other tiffany websites out there, they are ALL FAKE. The only true Tiffany site is Tiffany.com. If the website is called ANYTHING else, it's a fake. There are absolutely NO sellers, dealers or websites that get "deals" and Tiffany does NOT sell "discontinued" merchandise to buyers or websites. Don't fall into the mindset that if they have a website, they must be real, they're not. I made the same mistake when I first started out, and I got my money back. I had to work very hard to get it back, make alot of threats and be very persistent. If you've fallen into the same trap, tell that website that you'll turn them in to Tiffany if they don't refund your money. Those little websites don't want a giant like Tiffany to sue them, and that generally works.
- The bottom line is Tiffany is a maker of fine jewelry, and they would never let anything sub-par out of their store rooms. Don't be fooled by people claiming they have a contact who gets them Tiffany stuff for cheap or at wholesale, it CAN'T be done. The only way to get authentic NEW Tiffany jewelry is to buy it in the stores or from the Tiffany website.Of course, buying an authentic piece of Tiffany on ebay will always mean buying a used (pre-loved) piece of Tiffany jewelry, which is fine! When you think about it, why would somebody sell a brand new, never worn piece of Tiffany jewelry for much less than they paid for it at the store or website? The answer is, they wouldn't. I own pieces from the stores and from ebay, and I will tell you from personal experience…after a week you seriously can't tell the difference anyway! That's because the pieces scratch very easily.
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That brings me to my next point. I think some fake sellers have been reading my guide, because I've come across a lot of listings lately that say the jewelry is "used, but only worn once" which is supposed to explain why the piece has no scratches. This is yet another scam to get you to lower your guard and buy the piece because it says it's used, but it looks so good! The auctions that say "used" had better have Tiffany that has scratches and looks used, or it's probably fake.
So, if somebody claims to have brand new Tiffany jewelry for sale on ebay, RUN! I have purchased five pieces of Tiffany jewelry (all authentic) that were used, and they were in great shape! All it takes is a silver polishing cloth and some elbow grease to get a used piece back to it's original state. Because, seriously, would you rather have an authentic piece of pre-loved Tiffany or a nice, shiny fake?
I Hope this helped!
Via http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-To-Spot-Fake-Tiffany-Jewelry-/10000000001241859/g.html
http://international.tiffany.com/