What are the best ways to tell a fake or genuine Tiffany heart bracelet? Our guide outlines the clues so you can avoid being ripped off by counterfeits.
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It is every woman’s dream to have a piece of jewelry from Tiffany & Co. to own. And the popular heart bracelet is right at the top of our must-have list. Once inspired by the legendary “Return to Tiffany” key ring, the design has become a permanent fixture in our fashion hearts. The jewelery is a must-have for all “Breakfast at Tiffany” fans.
And through the American film “Legally Blond” with Reese Witherspoon, in which she wore a necklace with a heart pendant, the “Return to Tiffany” collection was well known to every fashionista. But what was it all about with these key rings? A bit of background information on this: The Tiffany key rings, which once served as the inspiration for the beautiful heart bracelets, had different registration numbers engraved on them. If an owner lost their key,
RETURN TO TIFFANY – THE JEWELRY LINE REINTERPRETED
With the new jewelry collection “Return to Tiffany Love”, the New York jewelry label wants to set an example in today’s fast-moving society. How quickly these days, “likes” are distributed almost indiscriminately on Facebook, Instagram and Co. But what has become of the true value of affection for others? Clicking a virtual button is easy, but expressing true love is something else. In this jewelry collection to fall in love with, there are noble versions of the classic Tiffany heart bracelet in high quality 18 carat white or rose gold and also in classic 925 sterling silver.
Best ways to tell a fake or genuine Tiffany heart bracelet
But due to the high demand for Tiffany & Co. heart bracelets, product piracy has also brought a number of fakes onto the market. We cannot advise against these fakes enough. Every cent you invest in a fake is a waste. You can usually recognize many inferior plagiarisms at a glance from a distance of several meters – and even high-quality counterfeits can never have the same value as an original Tiffany heart bracelet.
Since the beautiful heart bracelets are unfortunately not cheap, we recommend that you look out for the model you want in verified second hand shops. We have a few criteria for you that you should definitely use to tell between a fake or genuine Tiffany heart bracelet.
MATERIAL AND COLOR
The Tiffany heart bracelets are all made from high quality sterling silver. Counterfeits are usually only silver-plated. You can often tell the difference with the naked eye. If you notice a very light, almost whitish sheen, your piece of jewelery is probably a fake, because this indicates rhodium plating. An original Tiffany heart bracelet should appear silver-gray, and this is one of the best ways to tell between a fake or genuine Tiffany heart bracelet.
In the close-up image (above) of the chain, it is easy to see how poor the crafting and finish are. So examine your item with a magnifying glass. If it looks anything less than perfect, it is a fake.
The striking blue of Tiffany & Co was created by the French Empress Eugénie de Montijo over 160 years ago. Nowadays, the color is the distinguishing mark of the Tiffany & Co. company. The jewelry label has even patented the color as “Tiffany blue”.
SHAPE AND EXACT SIZE
There are many different variants of the popular heart bracelet from Tiffany & Co. Therefore we have listed all the different variants with shape and size for you:
RETURN TO TIFFANY BALL BRACELET SMALL BALLS:
- Heart pendant on a ball bracelet Small, 16.51 cm long – balls, 4 mm
- Heart pendant on a ball bracelet medium, 17.78 cm long – balls, 4 mm
- Heart pendant on a ball bracelet Large, 19.05 cm long – balls, 4 mm
RETURN TO TIFFANY BALL BRACELET LARGE BALLS:
- Heart pendant on a ball bracelet Small, 17.78 cm long – balls, 8 mm
- Heart pendant on a ball bracelet medium, 19.05 cm long – balls, 8 mm
- Heart pendant on a ball bracelet Large, 20.32 cm long – balls, 8 mm
RETURN TO TIFFANY CHARM BRACELET WITH HEART PENDANT:
- Small, 17.8 cm long
- Medium, 19.05 cm long
- Large, 8 inches long
RETURN TO TIFFANY BRACELET WITH HEART PENDANT:
- Small, 15.24 cm long
- Medium, 16.51 cm long
- Large, 17.78 cm long
RETURN TO TIFFANY BRACELET WITH KEY AND LOVE PENDANT
- Small, 6 inches long
- Medium, 15.5 cm long
- Large, 17.8 cm long
RETURN TO TIFFANY DOUBLE BRACELET WITH HEART PENDANT:
- Small, 17.5 cm long
- Medium, 19 cm long
- Large, 20 cm long
Deviations in the model made of pure sterling silver
RETURN TO TIFFANY BRACELET WITH HEART PENDANT AND TOGGLE CLASP:
- Small, 18.42 cm long
- Medium, 8 inches long
- Large, 8 inches long
RETURN TO TIFFANY BRACELET WITH MULTIPLE HEART PENDANTS:
- Small, 17.8 cm long
- Medium, 19.05 cm long
- Large, 8 inches long
Deviations in the gold model
RETURN TO TIFFANY BRACELET WITH LOVE LOCK:
- Small 6.5 inches long
- Medium 19.7 cm long
- Large 8.5 inches long
RETURN TO TIFFANY BRACELET WITH HEART PENDANT AND KEY:
- Small, 17.5 cm long
- Medium, 18.5 cm long
- Large 20 cm long
RETURN TO TIFFANY BANGLE WITH CHAIN AND HEART PENDANT:
- Small, fits wrists up to 14.6 cm in circumference
- Medium, fits wrists up to 15.9 cm in circumference
- Large, fits wrists up to 17.1 cm in circumference
If your bracelet does not meet the specified dimensions, which are one of the best ways to tell between a fake or genuine Tiffany heart bracelet, you can be sure that your heart bracelet is unfortunately not an original from Tiffany & Co.
THE QUALITY
The chain links on your Tiffany heart bracelet should all have been made from one piece. If you can see a weld, your heart bracelet is probably not an original. On the clasp you will find the number “925” embossed in small letters, denoting the quality of sterling silver. On the heart pendant should be razor sharp and clearly legible “Please return to TIFFANY & CO. New York 925 ”should be read. On some models the “925” is missing or has been replaced by “750”, for example, if it is a Tiffany heart bracelet made of gold.
The new models are labeled “Love”. In general, your heart bracelet should feel heavy and valuable. Of course there are a few more detailed criteria for each individual model, which indicate the originality of the piece of jewelry. Therefore, you should definitely compare your Tiffany heart bracelet with the product photos of your model on the Tiffany & Co. company website.
CARDBOARD BOX, POUCH & CLEANING CLOTH CASE
An original Tiffany heart bracelet is always sold in a small “Tiffany blue” box, the so-called “blue box”. The material of an original is slightly grained, while forgeries usually have a smooth surface. The “TIFFANY & CO.” Logo is printed relatively centrally on the top of the box. In the case of fakes, the letters are usually not on one line and are often too high up. Inside the box, the heart bracelet is in a pouch with a drawstring.
The sachet lies in the box on white, thick cotton. In the case of forgeries, this is usually grayish and open-pored. You will also find a cleaning cloth case in every original box. In the case you will find a small card with care instructions in addition to the cleaning cloth. Counterfeits are usually not rectangular, but rather improperly cut out.
INVOICE
Make sure the invoice is of good quality. Counterfeits are often only printed using a poor quality inkjet printer. The writing should be clear and clean to read. Many counterfeiters don’t even bother to create a “new”, forged invoice, but simply copy an original invoice and accept the poor print quality.
THE PRICE
With preloved pieces of jewelery, caution is generally required! For a layman it is not so easy to distinguish an original Tiffany heart bracelet from high-quality fakes. Product piracy has brought fakes made of real sterling silver onto the market, which they sell online for several hundred euros. The classic is definitely the Tiffany & Co. heart bracelet made of 925 sterling silver. The original price of this piece of jewelery is $350. The version with a toggle clasp costs $430 and the ball bracelet with a small heart pendant costs $310.
Gold models already cost around $4,400. So you see, the price of the jewelry varies depending on the model and material. So if you discover the Tiffany heart bracelet made of 18 carat gold online, which costs $4,400 in the original for a few hundred euros, then it is most likely a fake. We therefore recommend that you only buy Tiffany heart bracelets from trusted second hand shops.
In general, it can be said that Tiffany & Co. is inevitably one of the high-priced jewelry labels – quality and timeless elegance have their price. But we think every single cent you spend on a Tiffany & Co. heart bracelet is well invested, after all, if you take good care of it, you will own it for a lifetime.
