How To Spot Fake Tiffany Jewelry

Cashing in on the cachet of those little blue boxes and the distinctive designs inside them, counterfeiters have been flooding the market—making fakes harder and harder to detect. As forgers up their game, you’ll even come across phony pieces made with real gemstones set in precious metals and sold in authentic packaging. So, before you buy, learn how to spot fake Tiffany jewelry.

How To Spot Fake Tiffany Jewelry?

1. Where Are You Buying It?

At a traditional auction house, on-staff authenticators have checked a piece’s history and provenance. At online auction sites, that may not apply. Most, like eBay, are simply platforms that are only as trustworthy as the people who use them.

The problem: With a Tiffany engagement ring going for twice the price of less prestigious brands, online scammers are posting fakes faster than auction sites can take down the listings. Be on the lookout for blurry photographs and multiple listings of the same piece, both common counterfeiting ploys. Don’t be fooled by the authentic packaging either: counterfeiters scoop up those Tiffany's blue boxes at jumble sales or online auctions then put unbranded jewelry inside.

So, whether you’re shopping for a simple silver bracelet or an extravagant pair of diamond earrings, buying a pre-owned piece from luxury jewelry experts is your best way to buy real Tiffany piece at the best possible price. Trusted resource myGemma offers a wide array of pre-owned and expertly authenticated Tiffany rings, bracelets, necklaces, and wedding jewelry at a fraction of retail prices.

2. What Are You Buying?

Counterfeiters are after a quick sale, so they won’t waste time with labor-intensive Schlumberger designs or obscure vintage pieces, preferring to focus on heavily advertised bestsellers with recognizable shapes that are fast and easy to fake. Their favorites: silver pieces, like the Heart Tag Key Ring or Heart Tag Charm Bracelet from the Return to Tiffany Collection, Elsa Peretti's Open Heart Pendant or Open Heart Bangle, pendants from the Tiffany Keys Collection, or almost anything silver in the Atlas Collection.

Second most likely to be counterfeited: Gemstones in classic Tiffany mounts, like diamond solitaires in Tiffany’s famous six-prong setting. In many cases, you’ll find a counterfeiter who’s actually selling you an authentic Tiffany ring in an authentic Tiffany box minus the authentic gemstone. Scammers pry out the ring's original, high-quality diamond, sell it, then substitute a low-grade stone, man-made diamond, or cubic zirconia. 

3. How Does It Look Next To The Real Thing?

Even if they're not jewelry experts, most people can spot fakes when they see them in a side-by-side comparison with the genuine articles. If you’re not lucky enough to have a stash of Tiffany pieces handy, take advantage of the store's website, where you’ll find lots of detailed, high-resolution images.

Be aware that Tiffany sells in standardized sizes, so the piece you’re holding should match the measurements on its site. What else to watch out for: engraving that is off center, smudgy looking, or shallow and hastily done. 

There's also the old trick, seen less often lately, of using deliberate misspellings to get around trademark laws. Therefore, if a piece is marked "Tifany" or "Tiffanie", that's who made it. Not the jewelry store on Fifth Avenue. 

4. How Does It Feel?

Tiffany jewelry feels expensive. Its silver bracelets are heavy. Its stones are securely set. Its enamel has a glossy, even finish that is smooth to the touch.

Known for meticulous quality control, Tiffany sells only chains or bracelets that are cleanly finished—no snags, no sharp edges—with clasps that close securely. Soldering (the joining on metal pieces) is buffed to invisibility. Ergo, pieces with sloppy stamping and soldering are fake. 

5. What's It Made Of?

You can also spot fake Tiffany jewelry by checking the metal or stone. For example: Aside from a few non-jewelry pieces made decades ago, Tiffany has never used silver-plating. So if you see base metal showing through, the piece is counterfeit—usually silver electroplated over brass.

Likewise, Tiffany has never used faux pearls. Diamonds with visible flaws, bad clarity, or bad color are also giveaways that the piece is not from a Fifth Avenue jewelr that built its reputation on quality control. Beginning in 2004, Tiffany began laser-engraving serial numbers on its diamonds, which can be easily seen with a jeweler’s loupe.

How To Afford Authentic Tiffany Jewelry

Now that you know how to spot fake Tiffany jewelry, you may be ready for the real thing. That's where we come in: As specialist online diamond, jewelry, and luxury bag buyers, myGemma makes affording authentic luxury jewelry easy. Sell your luxury jewelry and bags for cash or store credit, with a 10 percent increase when you opt for store credit.

With us, selling your diamonds, jewelry, and bags is easy. Simply fill out our online form and follow its information prompts to receive a price quote from our experts. Whether you prefer to sell from the comfort of your own home or make an appointment at our offices in New York, our service is always simple, fast, secure and free. You can feel confident in our trust guarantee and our thousands of positive customer reviews.

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Where To Buy Affordable Tiffany Jewelry

Paloma Picasso? Elsa Peretti? Schlumberger? The Atlas Collection? You'll find all of those—and more—on our sister site, myGemma, as well as other authenticated, pre-owned Tiffany pieces in a selection that ranges from silver tag bracelets to platinum jewelry set with fine diamonds.