Luxury Authentication

Luxury brands demonstrate a particular level of detailing that can only be found at the highest echelons of craftsmanship, a quality that can help authenticators suss out if an item is legitimate. The key areas to examine are seams, serial codes, date and manufacture stamps, logos and labels, fonts, material quality, and price, among many other elements. Hermès bags are the most counterfeited worldwide. When assessing authenticity, shape and sizing are of great importance, followed by the materials and logos. On the front of each bag, a logo stamp is embossed in gold or silver, or simply pressed into the fabric. A ‘blind stamp’ is located at the closing clasp or interior. This is a letter-based code that correlates to the date of manufacture and the workshop in which it was made. Hermès also uses symbols to indicate the presence of exotic leathers. In addition to checking the materials - Hermès always uses real, full-grain leather - it’s a good idea to check that the hardware and other features are evenly lined up and centered with the ‘Hermès Paris’ stamp. Finally, unlike other designers, Hermès does not provide authenticity cards, so avoid buying from sellers that offer to provide such paperwork. While you may be able to spot a few of these telltale signs, the unfortunate truth is that counterfeiters are becoming more advanced, making it increasingly difficult for shoppers to protect themselves against fakes.