Answer: The best way to tell if you have real Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry is to check the serial number’s engraving.
Fakes always have the wrong thickness.
1. Serial number
Authentic: Ticker, more solid letters and numbers.
Fake: Thinner inscriptions.
Too difficult? Let our team of expert Van Cleef & Arpels authenticators take a look at your jewelry:
2. VCA Au750
Flip the metal tab to the other side and you’ll reveal the “VCA Au750” text.
Authentic: Thicker characters, as they’re fit deeper into the metal.
Fake: Thinner, slimmer letters and numbers.
3. Clasp
On top of the clasp/closing mechanism, you’ll find the “VCA” logo.
Authentic: Thinner “VCA” letters + tower in the middle.
Fake: Overly thick inscriptions.
A quick mention:
The steps we’ve written so far are the BEST ways to authenticate this item
The next few steps are still reliable methods…
… but they apply to non-top-versions of replicas available for this item
If in doubt, we recommend double-checking the steps we’ve explained above this line.
4. Motifs
Authentic: Very detailed edges, looking heavy just like any other metal.
Fake: Less detailed edges, looking like plastic instead of metal through pictures.
5. Side motif
Authentic: Thinner, easy-to-read characters.
Fake: Very thick inscriptions. Hardly legible.
6. Shininess
We need to see how the materials deal with light landing on top of the motifs.
Authentic: Proper shine, reflecting all light on top of it.
Fake: Unclear shine, looking like fake gold.
7. Chain
Authentic: Thicker, more solid chain.
Fake: Thinner chain.
8. Box
We’ll first begin outside the box, and then we’ll look inside it.
8.1. Exterior
Authentic: Same consistent thickness for all characters.
Fake: Thicker Thicker “V” in “Van”, but thinner “s” in “Arpels”.
8.2. Interior
Authentic: Thicker letters, with a consistent font-weight.
Fake: Thinner letters — using a completely different font.
See how the fake letters are also crooked.
9. Certificate
Authentic: Must have a serial number + date of purchase.
Fake: May often miss it, like the one above.
10. Packaging
Above is highlighted what all of the authentic packaging must look like….
When all the attachments are there.
Note: Blurred is sensitive information of the picture’s owner. Over there, you’ll find a valid date of purchase and serial number.
Shortlist: Quickly authenticate Van Cleef jewelry
Serial Number: Authentic pieces have thicker, more solid letters and numbers; fakes feature thinner inscriptions.
VCA Au750: Authentic items show thicker characters on the metal tab; fakes have thinner, slimmer letters and numbers.
Clasp: Authentic clasps have thinner “VCA” letters and a tower in the middle; fakes have overly thick inscriptions.
Motifs: Authentic motifs display very detailed, heavy-looking edges; fakes have less detailed edges that appear plastic-like.
Side Motif: Authentic side inscriptions are thinner and easy to read; fakes have very thick, hardly legible inscriptions.
Shininess: Authentic pieces shine properly, reflecting all light; fakes have an unclear shine, resembling fake gold.
Chain: Authentic chains are thicker and more solid; fakes have thinner chains.
Box:
Exterior: Authentic boxes have consistent character thickness; fakes might have uneven thickness like a thicker “V” in “Van”.
Interior: Authentic boxes feature thicker letters with consistent font-weight; fakes have thinner letters and a different font, often crooked.
Certificate: Authentic certificates include a serial number and date of purchase; fakes may often lack these details.
Packaging: Authentic Van Cleef packaging has a specific appearance with all attachments, including a valid date of purchase and serial number; sensitive information may be blurred for privacy.
Want to avoid scams for your next sneaker, watch, designer item or bag? Enter your email address and we'll send the FREE guide over.
About the Author
David is the co-founder and co-CEO of Legit Check By Ch. David's experience: 5+ years of creating educational content in the fashion industry. 6+ years of authenticating luxury items. Currently, David is the Head Editor of the LCBC Library, where 1,000,000+ words have been published, in free guides, for over 1,000 items.