Finding genuine Tiffany & Co jewelry online can be tricky business.
I've recently taken a great deal of time researching ebayers selling
Tiffany & Co jewelry and have come to discover that the vast majority
of it is fake. Unless a seller is a verified buyer and seller of
Tiffany jewelry, beware of sellers who are auctioning off multiple
Tiffany's items, particularly 5 or more at any given time. A really
helpful trick to revealing fake Tiffany's jewelry if you are initially
suspicious is to watch a seller over the course of an auction period.
For example, on the surface they may appear to only be selling 1 pair
of "Loving Hearts" earrings so buyers think they are authentic - that
the seller only has one pair to auction off, thus increasing the
bidding. However, as soon as that auction closes, the seller
immediately lists the same item again using the same picture. This is
misleading for several reasons. 1 - because that means you are never
seeing a true photo of the actual item your getting and 2 - how many
sellers (again, unless they are verified dealers) are going to have
more than 1 or 2 of the same authentic items? Answer: Next to none.
Sellers that are continuously auctioning off a variety of Tiffany's
pieces generally get their pieces from well crafted replica makers.
IMPORTANT: Know that even some of the Tiffany's pieces that are
stamped and signed can still be fake. I have recently come across a
seller who claimed that all of the Tiffany items that they were
selling were purchased by a "friend" who had a Tiffany & Co employee
discount. Now honestly think about this for a moment: What person,
even with a Tiffany & Co discount would buy 50 different pieces of
Tiffany's jewelry, in some cases 6 or 7 of the same piece, and then
auction them off for $24.95? When it comes down to it, it simply
doesn't add up. Genuine Tiffany's items usually come from the
independent seller, ebay consigner, or estate auctioner. There is no
such thing as a "Tiffany Outlet." Tiffany does not have
sales. Remember again that Tiffany & Co is one of the world's most
reknowned jewelers. There's is no such things as as Tiffany's
wholesale. Also keep in mind that the most replicated Tiffany jewelry
is sterling silver. It's cheap and much more cost-effective to
replicate. You are going to be hard pressed to find stamped 18k gold
replicas. If someone is going to buy gold, they are usually going to
go for the real thing to begin with. Additionally, beware of sellers
that misspell Tiffany's artists names: For example: Elsa Peretti
could be spelled Elsa Pereti or Elsa Pearetti. These are things that
let sellers get off on technicalities. Look for the subtle details.
Just because a seller promises that their Tiffany's items come with
the signature pouch, box, care card and bag doesn't make them real.
Also helpful in spotting fakes: Many of the replicas are done with a
platinum rhodium finish. Even for the high quality and luster of
Tiffany's jewelry, a platinum rhodium finish has a too-good-to-be-real
finish and brilliance and I've found it to be a tinge whiter than
genuine sterling silver.
Signs to look for; Questions to ask:
1. Look at the seller. Note how many Tiffany & Co items they are
selling at any one time and if there are multiples of the same item.
Beware of a seller offering a ring in multiple sizes and asking you to
specify your preference during payment. That's usually a dead
giveaway.
2. Ask questions: Don't be afraid to send the seller questions
like "Is this the actual picture of the item I will receive?" or "Do
you have a close-up of the T&Co signature and engravement on the item
that you can send me?" Be weary of sellers that use stock photos from
the T&Co web site without any other supporting photos. Also keep in
mind sellers that say "I don't take pictures of my actual items
because I prefer not to handle them."
3. COMPARE, COMPARE, COMPARE!!! Go to the Tiffany's web site and
view their picture of the item you are interested in and compare it to
the one being sold.
4. Look for overly polished bright finishes that would indicate a
platinum rhodium finish
5. All Tiffany's jewelry is stamped and marked somewhere
on every piece. Compare the markings on the piece being sold
to make sure they match the pictures on the Tiffany's web site. Or if
you can't find a signature to compare it to there, call a Tiffany's
retailer and ask them what the markings should look like and where
they should be located. Do not be fooled by someone who says
that they have an authentic "unsigned" Tiffany & Co piece of jewelry.
All items will be stamped and / or signed and marked with the
appropriate metal signature (i.e. 925 for sterling silver).
6. Keep in mind that you run a greater risk of purchasing a
replica if you are buying sterling silver.
7. If it sounds too good to be true, then know that it probably
is.
