There is a huge amount of fake Tiffany & Co. jewelry floating around on eBay. I own a great deal of Tiffany & Co. jewelry, and bought it from the actual store. Here's a guide to help you purchase an authentic piece of jewelry. Tiffany is extremely high quality, and an authentic piece will last you a lifetime. Here are a few things to look at to see if the piece you want to bid on is authentic. <BR>

1. THE BAG- Basically any jewelry sold in those pouches with the drawstring are going to be fake. If you ever see the ever so popular Toggle necklace in a pouch, it is FAKE! The toggle necklace is sold in a light blue square envelope pouch that folds over. There is NO snap on this envelope pouch, and there is white stitching all around it. The bag has a divider in the middle so that the necklace does not get scratched. The larger pieces are sold in this bag. Things like the silver heart bracelet are sold in a bag that is a little darker than the larger piece one and has a snap closure. The only thing in the store that is sold in those drawstring pouches are the keyrings. If there is a drawstring bag with the bracelet or necklace you are looking at, beware!

2. THE PHOTO- If the photo is from the Tiffany & Co. website, it's probably not real. A seller would want to take pictures of their item to prove its authenticity. The photos on the Tiffany & Co. website have a white background and the jewelry is front and center and looks professionally taken. Take a look at the Tiffany website to see an example if you are confused. Of course, this is not a 100% way of knowing whether or not the item is fake, but it's a good chance it is. If you don't get to see what the seller is actually selling, then they are probably trying to hide something.

3. FEEDBACK- This may seem like a given, but it's very easy to forget. Look at all the feedback and see what the other buyers say. Even if the feedback isn't totally negative, it's good to skim it. Sometimes people will positively give them feedback and say things like, "Wasn't authentic, but is pretty and fast shipping." So check and see if anyone says the jewelry wasn't authentic. If more than 1 person says it, then the piece you are about to buy is probably also fake. Not everyone will realize they are getting an unauthentic item, so make sure to read the feedback!

4. WHOLESALE- Tiffany & Co. does not wholesale, and probably never will. They are a very high end company, and they do not sell their pieces in bulk. They never give their pieces to a middle man to sell. If a seller ever claims they purchased their pieces wholesale and it is the reason the pieces are so cheap, the jewelry is fake! This is a definite.

5. CHEAP AND NEW- If a seller claims that a piece of jewelry is brand-new and it only costs $2.00, it's probably fake. Why would a seller buy a brand-new piece of jewelry and sell it for 1/20 of the price? They wouldn't. However once in a while this could happen. For example, perhaps the seller got it as a gift and doesn't wear jewelry. This won't happen a lot, however, so be extra cautious.

6. "DIFFERENT" LOOKING PIECES- When buying jewelry, it's helpful to bring up the Tiffany sites and compare the jewelry. Look at the shape of the links, the length of the chain, or the shape of the writing on the jewelry. A little bit of extra care and attention detail will help protect you in buying authentic pieces.

<BR>

I hope that you found this review helpful! Use care and caution when buying Tiffany jewelry and eBay, and you can find some really great finds! Good luck!