How to Spot Fake Tiffany Jewelry

It's shiny and silver, and is stamped with Tiffany's, so it must be real, right? Wrong! The Tiffany's stamp is counterfeited often by sellers trying to pass off a fake as the real thing. Follow these easy tips to find better ways of identifying a potential purchase as the real thing.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A computer
• Internet Access

How to Spot Fake Tiffany Jewelry

1. First, if you're buying online and the seller is using a stock photo, stay away! This is a sure sign that they don't have an authentic item. If it was real, what would stop them from taking a picture of it?

2. If you're buying online, make sure the seller has great feedback. You don't want to buy a high ticket item only to find out it's fake.

3. The item should be heavy in hand, and not feel hollow or plastic. It should feel like all metal, and obviously should not have any green staining. If it is authentic, the seller should allow you to use silver cleaner to ensure it is real.

4. The box the item comes in should be a robin's egg/baby blue. It should feature the Tiffany's logo indelibly stamped on, with a glossy finish.

5. The purchase should be accompanied with or come inside of a bag of the same color. The bag will act as a polishing cloth and is made of a suede-like material. It will also have a thin drawstring closure.

6. The purchase may also be tied with a ribbon. If so, this should be a satin, white ribbon. Do not discount a purchase simply for that reason though; a seller may have take the ribbon off before selling.

7. Most jewelry will have a lobster clasp to close it. This should be high quality clasp which takes effort to open. If it seems loose or flimsy, it's probably a fake. Pendants will have a round ring clasp to close it.

8. The pendant, the chain AND the clasp will all be stamped with .925. Some sellers piece fakes together with the real thing, but ALL pieces must say .925 to be authentic.

9. The engraving of the Tiffany name should be clear, dark, and above all, properly spelled. Believe it or not, some sellers actually try to sell misspelled jewelry as "rare finds."

10. Consult the Tiffany website (www.tiffany.com) to check where on the jewelry their logo is engraved before assuming it's correct. They have different places to engrave their logo on each product, sometimes multiple locations.

11. Again, check the Tiffany website to match styles. If the jewelry you're interested in looks similar, but not exactly the same, chances are it is simply a poor counterfeit, not a rare find.

Tips & Warnings

• Use your gut. Why would anyone sell a never-worn piece of expensive jewelry for super cheap? While it's great to try and find a deal, always be realistic.
• Never buy from somewhere that doesn't have a return option. Do you really want to be out $100 after that ring starts turning your finger green?
• Watch out for sellers who pad their shipping and handling costs, so they can profit from the purchase even if you return the item. Chances are they're expecting returns and want a way to ensure a profit.