As I'm sure you're aware, the amount of fake Tiffany jewelry on eBay seems to out number the authentic Tiffany jewelry.  Innocent victems are spending hundreds of dollars on fake Tiffany jewelry every day!  Multiply that times the number of fakes on eBay and the totals are well into the millions of dollars.  The countefeit Tiffany auctions are actually, in many cases, ending with higher bids than the authentic Tiffany auctions.  Innocent buyers as well as honest seller are being hurt by these auctions!

Honest sellers do exist and there are ways to spot the fakes just by closely looking at the pictures. One of the easiest things to spot is the pouch.  IF THE POUCH IS FAKE it's logical to assume THE JEWELRY IS ALSO FAKE!

There are a few things that are common to all
AUTHENTIC "Tiffany Blue" drawstring pouches no matter how old the pouch is.

• Fabric - Tiffany's pouch fabric is suede cloth. The fabric is not a smooth nap. It has highs and lows that are visible in clear photos.

  AUTHENTIC

• 99% of fake pouches are made of a cheap, low pile, faux velevet. All of the faux velvet fibers are the same height so the pouch will photograph smooth.  Ironic that even the velvet is fake!

\AUTHENTIC  FAKE

• The size of the AUTHENTIC bags are consistant:
  ~ The most common size is medium 4 1/2" (1 in pics)
  ~ The small size is 3 1/2"
  ~ The smallest size is 2 1/2"
  ~ The less common large sizes are 6 1/2" and 7 1/2"
  These sizes may vary by no more than 1/8" due to the seam allowance.
  
• Notice that all sizes are X and 1/2 inches. The same cannot be said for most fake Tiffany drawstring pouches.
  
• On very rare occassions you may see an odd shaped drawstring pouch to accomodate a specialty item. All of the information pertaining to drawstring pouches will also apply to these pouches.
  
• The medium and small AUTHENTIC pouches have approximately 1/2" margin from the top of the pouch to the top row of stitches. (2 in pics)
  
• The AUTHENTIC larger sizes have approximately 1" margin from the top of the pouch to the top row of stitches.
  
• The smallest AUTHENTIC pouch has a 3/8" top margin.
  
• The fake pouches have a much narrower top margin. (see pics)
  
• The fabric on the inside of the AUTHENTIC pouch is EXACTLY the same as the outside of the pouch.
  
• The inside of the AUTHENTIC pouch will have a pocket made of the same suede cloth. The large and odd shaped pouches usually do not have a pocket.
  

 AUTHENTIC     FAKE

• The seams of the AUTHENTIC pouch will be serged using a coordinating thread color.
  - Pouches dating back two or more decades may have a straight stitched seam rather than a serged seam but all else will be the same and you should be able to tell by the fading of the fabric and the imprint that it's an old pouch.
• Note: the size of the Tiffany & Co on the front of the authentic pouch can vary. Newer pouches have smaller type than some of the older pouches.

There are a few things that are common to all
AUTHENTIC Tiffany blue snap pouches no matter how old the pouch is.

• Fabric - Like the drawstring bag, Tiffany's AUTHENTIC snap pouch fabric is suede cloth. The fabric is not a smooth nap. It has highs and lows that are visible in clear photos. 99% of fake snap pouches uses a similar fabric so this is difficult to determine in photos.

           AUTHENTIC     COUNTERFEIT

• The size of the AUTHENTIC pouch is consistant: 2 5/8".
• Both sides AND the bottom of the AUTHENTIC pouch are stitched. Most counterfeit snap pouches are not stitched across the bottom.
• AUTHENTIC Snap pouches have gusseted sides and divider pocket made of the same fabric.
• The stitching lines are perfectly straight and perfectly curved around the flap of the AUTHENTIC pouches.
• The back of the snap nipple of the AUTHENTIC pouch has a round piece of matching fabric glued to it so it doesn't scratch the jewelry.
• The brand of all AUTHENTIC Tiffany snaps is marked on the reverse side of the flap's snap. This unique brand (· ECHT ·  · PRYM · 2b · ) is different than the brand of snap used on any fake Tiffany pouch.  If the snap does not contain these letters, it's a FAKE.
• The reverse side of the AUTHENTIC snap on the flap has a "coin" edge.

IMPORTANT TIPS: 

1. If you're interested in or win an auction that has a pouch similar to the counterfeit pouches in these photos, it's a sure bet the jewelry is also counterfeit. Retract your bid or demand your money back! 
2. Make sure the auction has a refund policy if the item is deemed to be counterfeit. 
3. ALWAYS pay with PayPal!  PayPal will protect you if the item you receive is counterfeit and the seller refuses to refund your money.  It will take 30 days to receive your refund in that event and you MUST file a claim with PayPal as soon as the seller refuses the refund.  PayPal will usually freeze that amount of your purchase from the seller's account while the claim is being processed.  Acting quickly allows PayPal to freeze that amount before the seller can withdraw all money from the account or close the account completely.
4. If you see a counterfeit auction - even if the auction is near completion - REPORT IT! 
   
   Scroll to the bottom of the auction and click the "report this item" link.  Follow the prompts to choose the following three items:  "Counterfeit or copyright violations", "Potential Trademark Infringement", "Countefeit watches or jewelry".  Click the "continue" button.  On the next page, click "email us".  The next page should have the auction number already filled in.  Click "send". 

BUYER BEWARE:  This is an excerpt from an actual email I received.  The sender was selling a FAKE Tiffany Heart Toggle Necklace and Bracelet set and knew it was a fake:

"If people want it, I'm sure they are adult enough to know what they are bidding on. That includes researching before they buy. That goes for every item. If they dont want it or think its fake, they dont have to bid on it."    regarding auction #170170783359 

Sadly, the uninformed buyer payed $270 for fake merchandise that the seller probably paid less than $50 for directly from China!  She may well have bought the fakes right here on eBay.  This seller continues unabashedly to sell FAKE Tiffany merchandise on eBay. 

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Feel free to email me if you have any questions or comments. If you're not sure about an auction, email me with the auction number. I'll be happy to take a look and give you my opinion.

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