There is a huge amount of fake designer jewellery out there. Most of it is made in china and some is so close to the original items that only highly qualified jewellery experts can tell the genuine article.

Designers such as Tiffany & CO, Cartier, Rolex, Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Gucci are regularly copied. Many of the fake items are deceptive as they can also include jewellery pouches, boxes, bags and certificates of authenticity all with the designers logo on it.

Just remember, if the price is too good to be true, then it probably is!

How to spot fakes- Specifics

Links

Official Tiffany & Co jewellery and other designer jewellery is exquisitely made. That’s why they call it Designer. The links are perfectly round and joined smooth. Watch out for jewellery which is roughly joined or oddly shaped. The engravings and artwork should be sharp and clear and the item should have a high polish. Also look out for spelling mistakes both on the item and on packaging.

Weight

Designer silver jewellery is made of solid sterling silver and is quite weighty. Some fakes are made out of hollow silver or a silver imitation made up of cheap alloys.

Website

Check out the official websites of these companies. They have good pictures of the items and the real retail price. Compare it with the piece you are thinking of buying. Does the quality look the same? Are there slight differences in design?

How to spot fakes- Listings

Price

The cheapest sterling silver jewellery item sold on the Tiffany & Co website is a collar stay for $50US and the cheapest pendant is $100US. The more popular items such as the Atlas range sell for around $175US. Compare that to the price some items are being sold for and that is the first indication of a fake.

Sellers Reputation

As with any transaction you should carefully look into the sellers reputation. Be wary of sellers with low feedback who are selling a lot of designer stock especially if these sellers are located overseas. Note that you wont find many sellers listing these goods who have 1000+ feedback.

Check the payment terms and conditions carefully. You want to make sure that if it is a fake you will be covered by paypal or ebay. If you can not get this coverage it is not advisable to buy.

Pictures

Carefully look at the pictures provided. Many of them are simply stock photos and do not show the actual item you will be receiving. Also check to see if the item comes with a receipt. Although receipts have been known to be fabricated the odds are a bit better if there is one included in the sale. A certificate of authenticity is not the same thing as a receipt as is easier to fabricate and therefore means less.

Duplicate listings

Some sellers advertising fakes will have identical descriptions listed under many different selling ids. If you see identical listings be wary.

I hope this has helped you evaluate your purchase more wisely. Once again, if it looks too good to be true, then it probably is!