A Guide To Spotting Fake Cartier Jewellery

Since its foundation in 1847, Cartier has created countless iconic collections, captivating luxury jewellery lovers with its finely crafted pieces. Unfortunately, as one of the most prestigious luxury jewellery brands in the world, Cartier falls victim to counterfeiters hoping to make money by selling fake items.

Sadly, there are many counterfeit pieces of Cartier jewellery on the market. On the majority of occasions, you'll be able to spot that a £20 gold-plated Love bracelet is not the real thing. However, as the fraudsters use increasingly sophisticated methods, some of the fakes are almost identical to the authentic pieces.

Here at Rich Diamonds of Bond Street, as fine jewellery experts and purveyors of authentic Cartier luxury jewellery, we aim to show you how to spot fake Cartier pieces so you won't get stung. Read on for some useful tips on spotting counterfeit items.

Stamping

Stamping is found on the back of bracelets, rings, necklace clasps and earring posts. Always study the stamping carefully, as genuine Cartier jewellery will have a clean stamp, with the correct spelling and even spacing. The exact details of the stamping can vary, but every piece should be stamped with the famous Cartier logo.

The logo is always printed in the brand's easily recognisable signature script. Look out for any misspellings or slight variations in font, as this is a sign of fake jewellery.

The stamp should also detail the jewellery’s metal type and its unique serial number. The metal types for real Cartier jewellery include Au 750 or 750 for 18-carat gold and 950 or Pt 950 for platinum. Authentic Cartier rings and bracelets will be stamped with their size.

Cartier sizes its rings in millimetres, so the ring may be stamped with 56, for example, if it's a 56 mm-size ring. The stamp on Cartier engagement rings, as well as containing the type of metal, the two-digit ring size and the Cartier logo, also contains the diamond carat weight and serial number.

Metal Quality

The metals used to create Cartier jewellery are only the highest quality 18-carat gold and platinum, as you would expect. The metal used to create every piece should match up with its stamp.

The metals should be perfect, with no areas of discolouration and no scrapes, scuffs or chips. If the metal is even slightly discoloured anywhere, revealing a slightly different colour under the top layer, this is a fake item.

Features on Boxes

While the quality of the piece of jewellery itself is obviously the most important factor, you should also look at the features on the box for signs of authenticity. If you know how to spot fake Cartier boxes, this can go a long way towards preventing yourself from being conned.

Genuine Cartier jewellery inner boxes don't have the famous logo printed on top of the lid. Instead, the logo is printed inside the lid in gold. Cartier's outer presentation boxes have the logo printed on the top of the box. The interior of a Cartier jewellery box will be made with either black satin or a classic white fabric.

Modern Cartier boxes feature push release buttons on the front. The Cartier Love bracelet's box is specially crafted not only to hold the bracelet but also with an extra slot to accommodate the tiny screwdriver that comes with every bracelet.

Cartier Love Bracelet

When it comes to iconic pieces that fall victim more often to counterfeiters, unfortunately, the Cartier Love bracelet is frequently targeted. As with every other collection, Cartier uses only the highest quality materials in its Love bracelets, so each one should feel solid and should weigh between 30 grams and 38 grams.

An authentic Cartier Love bracelet comprises two halves, which are held together by two screws. This iconic design is why the Love bracelet needs the screwdriver to open and close it. The wearer's true love can fasten it around their partner's wrist to signify their lasting relationship.

It goes without saying that if a Love bracelet is in one solid piece, without any screws, it's an obvious and poor fake, as it lacks the basic design that makes it special!

The Cartier Love bracelet also features a screw motif, which should be stamped perfectly and precisely into the metal. A counterfeit bracelet's motif may be too faint or suffer from misaligned printing. The screw motif on the Select Love bracelet collection is replaced with round, brilliant gemstones.

Having a basic knowledge of what to look out for on each bracelet is important when it comes to spotting fakes. The small screwdriver that comes with each bracelet should be plated in the same metal as the Love bracelet, whether it's rose gold, white gold or yellow gold.

The screwdriver should easily turn the screws, without sticking. Look out for signs of misaligned screws, as this will be a fake Cartier Love bracelet. A genuine bracelet should feel snug and secure when on the wrist and should be very well-made.

A real Love bracelet is an oval shape, so it can be worn close to the wearer's pulse point. Look out for bracelets that are too round. As well as the standard stamping found on all Cartier jewellery, each half of the Love bracelet should include its serial number and details of the type of metal used.

How To Buy Real Cartier Jewellery

When you're looking to buy real Cartier luxury jewellery, RichDiamonds of Bond Street is the ideal choice. As one of London's leading vintage and pre-owned luxury jewellery dealers, our selection of Cartier jewellery provides inspiration for every collector.

Our professional team checks all of the jewellery personally. We will then provide our personal guarantee on the authenticity of every piece of jewellery that we sell. This gives our customers peace of mind, as they are safe in the knowledge they are buying genuine Cartier jewellery.

When possible, we normally provide the original "Certificate of Origin" or "International Guarantee" from the manufacturer with every piece of jewellery sold. We guarantee 100% authenticity on every item of jewellery in our collection and will never buy - or sell - replicated goods.