Welcome back to Can’t Week! In which I celebrate all the things we can’t do (you know, that are jewelry related). Check out why you can’t tell the difference between diamonds after letting it sink in that I can’t authenticate that Cartier Love Bangle for ya.
The two hottest posts on this blog, since the dawn of time, have been about Cartier Love bangles. One is a simple size guide, the other promises AUTHENTIC BANGLES AT AMAZING PRICES! Much like your favorite e-mail spammer. But this is no South African prince scam, RLJ really does sell authentic Cartier Love bangles, and they are pretty nicely priced below retail.
Perhaps that post title explains the vast amount of authentication requests we (I) receive through our contact forms. A few times a week, I’ll get an e-mail from someone who enjoys scouring the depths of eBay as much as I do for a good deal. They invariably want some reassurance that the Cartier Love bangle they’d like to purchase is the real deal. And it pains me to tell them I can’t give them that peace of mind.
First of all, I can’t authenticate anything based on a picture. Nor can I offer even a ballpark estimate of how much we’d pay for a diamond based on a photo (unless that photo’s of a GIA certificate number.) I can’t tell you how much your watch repair might be without having the watchmakers take a look. I can maybe offer you a range based on specific watch serials with box & papers. Maybe. And, based on experience, I know that this is extremely, life-ruiningly upsetting for some people. So thank you, to all those whom I can’t help, for being polite and understanding in your e-mail responses. Or just not replying with a diatribe. It’s not my fault I can’t jump through the computer to come help you out. I would if I could. Then I’d invite you to jump through The Pioneer Woman’s computer. Because I’m hungry.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Cartier Love bangles can be ridiculously hard to authenticate even in person if the fake is good enough. My bosses have caught their fair share of really really good replicas while buying Love bangles. In fact, it can sometimes be difficult for Cartier S.A.’s to identify a fake on the spot. I used to refer customers who were looking to authenticate to their nearest Cartier boutique for a firm answer, but we’ve heard reports that even Cartier won’t do it anymore (why would they? “You want to be sure you’ve got a real LB? Cough up the retail cash at Cartier.” – their point of view.)
So what’s a deal-loving jewelry collector to do? We can’t be bound by the chains of paying retail prices! No, good deals still exist, the catch is to make sure they aren’t too good to be true. Which all comes down to buying pre owned Cartier Love bangles from a reputable source. When i respond to someone looking for authentication, I usually offer advice like this, which I’ll break down further in red:
Hi There,
We’d need to see the actual bracelet in person to authenticate it [again, the computer jumping], which we’ll be happy to do, [in a written insurance appraisal appointment, which should be a given with an expensive piece of jewelry] but you’d need to make sure the seller has a trustworthy return policy [something like this] At first glance though, the price of the bracelet gives me some concerns. [This customer linked to the one they wanted to purchase. It was priced WAY too low.] A rose gold Love bangle with no diamonds retails for $6350 and even our pre-owned Love bangles start at $5295. It’s always possible that the seller doesn’t know what they have or is just desperate to move the bangle, but it’s highly unlikely. They’re extremely popular, and authentic pre owned Love bracelets command a much higher price. I usually err on the side of caution when it comes to authentication, and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. [THIS!] You can read more about how to spot a fake Love bangle here: http://raymondleejewelers.net/blog/how-to-spot-a-fake-cartier-love-bracelet/ but again, it’s very difficult to authenticate something based only on a picture.
And that, my friends, is why I can’t authenticate your Love bangle. My deepest apologies, but I’d rather help you find a reputable source, even if it’s not RLJ. So, when Love-Bangle-Hunting, remember the handy acronym for finding a reputable online jeweler:
- Longevity: Decades of happy customers don’t lie. Nor do hundreds of pages of eBay feedback.
- Open Communication: Do they call you back? Facebook you? Text you? Help you choose between sizes?
- Verifiable: Do they have Yelp & eBay reviews? Will they show you Cartier box & papers if the listing advertises them?
- Easy Returns & Exchanges: Clearly stated, black and white, simple for you.