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This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ng Yong Shen, the vice president of Re-Loved Luxury, a Dubai-based secondhand luxury retailer. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I got into the business of authenticating luxury goods during the pandemic when I was hired as a purchaser for a secondhand luxury goods company.
In that role, I was exposed to a large volume of luxury items on a daily basis. Bags, watches, and jewelry have become my strong suits when it comes to authentication.
I went on to pursue similar roles, first as an authenticator for Carousell Group, an online marketplace similar to Craigslist, and later as a commercial manager at Luxehouze, a marketplace focused on pre-owned luxury goods.
Now, after four years in the industry, my day involves procuring secondhand pieces from online marketplaces or vintage shops, authenticating pieces for corporate clients at midday, and then working as Re-Loved Luxury's vice president, trying to scale up its business.
I also buy and trade vintage luxury pieces for my personal collection.
One question I get asked a lot as an authenticator is: How can I distinguish a real Van Cleef & Arpels piece from a fake?
For me, the fakes are easy to spot. A friend recently asked me to look at a piece, and just eyeballing it was enough to tell it wasn't authentic.
But to the untrained eye, I can see how it wouldn't be so straightforward. So here are four things to look out for when checking if the Van Cleef piece you're interested in is the real deal.
Ng Yong Shen
The first thing to check is the shape of the four prongs.
The prongs that make up the clover pattern of Van Cleef & Arpels' pieces are very distinct and round, but the fake ones have a more elongated shape.
The fake ones often look almost teardrop-shaped, while an authentic piece has a more even and rounded profile.
Ng Yong Shen
Then, look at the small spheres that outline the clover stone.
If you look closely at the fake ones, you can see that the spheres surrounding the stone are not very uniform.
Van Cleef & Arpels is a high-end jewelry brand, so the workmanship is premium. But with replicas, counterfeiters often work faster and may skimp on these small details.
The spheres are often either too big or too small on fakes. Whereas on the real ones, you can see that they are very fine, and very easy on the eyes.
Ng Yong Shen
One crucial telltale sign is the clasp. You can open and close the clasp, and then you loop it into the jump ring.
Look at the jump ring closely. It has a small dent in it. If you flip it around and look under the loop, you will find that the dent on an authentic piece has a very small hallmark pressed into it.
Upon closer inspection, you will see that the jump ring is imprinted with an eagle's head, the French hallmark for 18-karat gold jewelry.
That's a detail that a lot of counterfeiters tend to miss out on.
Ng Yong Shen
Finally, turn the piece to examine its side profile. The rounded area on a fake bracelet is often messier compared to a real one, which is a lot crisper and sharper.
There is also a certain thickness to the center stone itself. You will notice that the fake ones are often thin, which can be another dead giveaway.
