Van Cleef & Arpels: $5,000 Authentic or $700 FAKE?

Last Updated on April 12, 2024 by Ch David

In this guide, our expert authenticators take you through:

• The 11 ways to tell if your Van Cleef is real.
• A shortlist of all these steps.
• And a professional Van Cleef Authentication Service.

How to tell if your Van Cleef is real

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

1. Serial Number: Authentic pieces have thicker, more solid letters and numbers; fakes feature thinner inscriptions.
2. VCA Au750: Authentic items show thicker characters on the metal tab; fakes have thinner, slimmer letters and numbers.
3. Clasp: Authentic clasps have thinner “VCA” letters and a tower in the middle; fakes have overly thick inscriptions.
4. Motifs: Authentic motifs display very detailed, heavy-looking edges; fakes have less detailed edges that appear plastic-like.
5. Side Motif: Authentic side inscriptions are thinner and easy to read; fakes have very thick, hardly legible inscriptions.
6. Shininess: Authentic pieces shine properly, reflecting all light; fakes have an unclear shine, resembling fake gold.
7. Chain: Authentic chains are thicker and more solid; fakes have thinner chains.
8. 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.
9. Certificate: Authentic certificates include a serial number and date of purchase; fakes may often lack these details.
10. 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.

Expert Van Cleef & Arpels Authentication Service

Need our opinion on your item’s authenticity? It’s a service we provide.

Get a fully-detailed report for why you have a real or fake item. Takes less than 48 hours!

Alternatively, use our free resources: written guides and video tutorials.

Thank you for reading this,

Ch Daniel and Ch David