So, I got this itch to really get into the nitty-gritty of spotting fake Tiffany stuff, especially those split rings. Here’s how it went down.
First off, I started digging around online, just to get a feel for what’s what. You know, the usual, what are the tell-tale signs, that kind of thing. Found out that the fakes, they’re all about the quick buck. So, they usually skip over the tiny details, the stuff that takes time and effort. That was my first clue.
Next, I actually got my hands on a few rings. Some were legit, some, well, not so much. I had diamonds, jewels, and even those stamped sterling silver ones. The thing I noticed? Those scammers, they’re sneaky. Sometimes, they’d sell you a real Tiffany ring and even a real box, but they’d swap out the gemstone. They’d just pry out the original and pop in a fake. Can you believe that?
Then, I really got into the weeds. Did you know that real Tiffany engagement rings have two serial numbers? Yeah, one’s for the ring’s setting, and the other’s for the diamond itself. And they don’t just slap these numbers anywhere. They inscribe them on the star facet of the diamond, not on the girdle. So, I started asking for pictures of these inscriptions, just to check.
Here’s a fun little trick I learned
- Scratch test: I tried scratching the metal with my fingernail. If it scratched, it’s probably the real deal.
- Water test: I dropped the rings in a glass of water. The real gold or silver ones, they sank right to the bottom. The fakes? They just floated around.
It’s been a wild ride, learning all this stuff. But now? I feel like a real pro. Spotting a fake Tiffany split ring? Piece of cake.
