Necessary to prove authentication of jewelry purchased directly from retailer?

[bulldawg004]

Hi everyone!

I'm relatively new (or returning after 10+ yrs lol) to selling, and am working with my own items.

I have some jewelry that I would like to sell - it's been worn but in good condition.

All was either purchased from the retailer (like Tiffany & Co) or and authorized jeweler (for Yurman, Hardy, etc.). I don't have receipts handy, but I could
a) Take the pieces to a jeweler to authenticate, or
b) Contact the stores where they were purchased for proof of purchase.

Is that necessary? Do I NEED to have proof of authenticity (beyond the marks on the items themselves) to list the items? And even if not, should I be concerned about returns claiming they are not authentic?

I have some pieces that were gifts that I'm not selling; I'm only selling pieces I personally purchased from the manufacturer or an authorized jeweler. Any advice on what I MUST and/or SHOULD I do before listing to protect myself?

I'd love your help please! Thank you very much!

[emerald40]

IMO getting appraisals will only strenghten your listings.

And it will keep at bay competitors who will scream fake and try to get the items removed.

And if any of the jewelry companies are vero it may satisfy them as well.

T&C jewelry is one of the biggest faked jewelry sold on ebay, so it will give confidence to your buyers as well.

[luckythewinner]

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@bulldawg004 wrote:

should I be concerned about returns claiming they are not authentic?

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1) Buyer buys your Tiffany item

2) Buyer claims "not as described" and requests a return

3) Buyer returns a different bit of costume jewelry

4) eBay finds in favor of the buyer, and you must refund

Be sure to go into this with your eyes open. You should always be concerned that a buyer will steal your item. 

[ittybitnot]

Is that necessary? Do I NEED to have proof of authenticity (beyond the marks on the items themselves) to list the items? And even if not, should I be concerned about returns claiming they are not authentic?

No.  Should a buyer claim it is phony, ebay is not going to care one hoot about any documentation you might have.  Buyers can say whatever they want and will prevail. 

Of a bigger concern for you would be NOT POST ANYTHING FOR SALE THAT YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE AND PAY RETURN SHIPPING UP FRONT AS WELL. 

[emerald40]

Just to be clear I answered this OP's questions based on - Do I NEED to have proof of authenticity (beyond the marks on the items themselves) to list the items

So yes from that perspective authentication does calm serious buyers, and keep at bay Vero members and competitors.

Scammers are of course a whole nother scenario.

[freeshipusa1]

Getting authentication will raise your cost,many jewelry collectors and dealers know their stuff,they can tell with or without authentication if they are for real.

and for those who want to scam,a piece of paper cannot protect you.

TAKE good pictures,show the mark clearly,thats most bidders will look for,Tiffany is all about quality,they are very meticulate about their jewelry and the  marks.

BTW,there is a company in China called Tiffany !

[emerald40]

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@freeshipusa1 wrote:

Getting authentication will raise your cost,many jewelry collectors and dealers know their stuff,they can tell with or without authentication if they are for real.

and for those who want to scam,a piece of paper cannot protect you.

TAKE good pictures,show the mark clearly,thats most bidders will look for,Tiffany is all about quality,they are very meticulate about their jewelry and the  marks.

BTW,there is a company in China called Tiffany !

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Still not understanding what I am trying to say.

Yes, it will raise your cost.

And yes it will protect you from competitors trying to get your items removed because they have the ear of ebay and can get away with it.

Since I have been using GIA, AGS, and EGL USA reports with my listings, I no longer have to deal with that.  

Also, buyers are much more confident in my listings when they see those reports.

As far as T&C they are like designer handbags.  Some are that good that it is very dificult for the lay person to know the difference.  I take that hesitation out by providing a report.

And yes I know there are both scammer sellers and scammer buyers.  I am not referring to them.

I am referring to honest sellers and buyers.  And having that documentation is worth the price, imo.

[jklfindings]

I have been selling preowned jewelry on ebay for several years, and for several different companies.  Don't waste your time with appraisals of the items you mentioned, it will only cost you $$$ in the end.  Tiffany, Yurman, and Hardy have a very strong following and you'll sell them easily.  Take great pics, and you'll be fine (make sure to get those logos in the pics).  As for Vero issues, I've only had 1 in my career and it was for using the term "chocolate diamonds" that wasn't a Levian piece (who knew they owned the term??)

[emerald40]

Tiffany and Yurman are two of the biggest fakes sold on ebay.

Many buyers will skip listings on the side of caution.

So checking marks on the jewelry is very difficult to ascertain on a monitor to determine i it is legit as scammers can easily duplicate those marks.

Also pictures are very difficult to interpret as well as some copies are that good.

[jklfindings]

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@emerald40 wrote:

Tiffany and Yurman are two of the biggest fakes sold on ebay.

Many buyers will skip listings on the side of caution.

So checking marks on the jewelry is very difficult to ascertain on a monitor to determine i it is legit as scammers can easily duplicate those marks.

Also pictures are very difficult to interpret as well as some copies are that good.

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All I can speak from is experience.  I've been selling Tiffany and Yurman for a long time with no issues.  Grabbing an $80 appraisal on each item just isn't cost effective.

[emerald40]

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@jklfindings wrote:

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@emerald40 wrote:

Tiffany and Yurman are two of the biggest fakes sold on ebay.

Many buyers will skip listings on the side of caution.

So checking marks on the jewelry is very difficult to ascertain on a monitor to determine i it is legit as scammers can easily duplicate those marks.

Also pictures are very difficult to interpret as well as some copies are that good.

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All I can speak from is experience.  I've been selling Tiffany and Yurman for a long time with no issues.  Grabbing an $80 appraisal on each item just isn't cost effective.

___________________________________________

That would depend on the item.  On a $10,000 diamond ring, it is very cost effective and offers me added protection.

On a $100 T&C silver item, a thid party appraiser charges based on the time it takes so it would not cost nearly that much.

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[emerald40]

Just to add:  designer jewelry is no different than designer handbags.

I had a competitor zero in on me yapping I was selling a fake.

All I needed was to be on ebay's radar for selling fakes.  Because as you know it is not whether or not your item is real, all you need is one of those sellers who has ebay's ear to say you do, and you can kiss your account good bye.

But since I started using GIA, AGS, EGL USA, and well known 3rd party independent appraisers (not the ones you can download on the Net and fill in yourself) I have not been bothered since.  And my buyers appreciate them.  So imo, it is money well spent.

[jklfindings]

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@emerald40 wrote:

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@jklfindings wrote:

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@emerald40 wrote:

Tiffany and Yurman are two of the biggest fakes sold on ebay.

Many buyers will skip listings on the side of caution.

So checking marks on the jewelry is very difficult to ascertain on a monitor to determine i it is legit as scammers can easily duplicate those marks.

Also pictures are very difficult to interpret as well as some copies are that good.

---

All I can speak from is experience.  I've been selling Tiffany and Yurman for a long time with no issues.  Grabbing an $80 appraisal on each item just isn't cost effective.

___________________________________________

That would depend on the item.  On a $10,000 diamond ring, it is very cost effective and offers me added protection.

On a $100 T&C silver item, a thid party appraiser charges based on the time it takes so it would not cost nearly that much.

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Yes, a $10,000 diamond ring is different, but we aren't discussing that.  The question was about Tiffany, Yurman, and Hardy.   There are a handful of those designers pieces that would warrant an appraisal, but in general they wouldn't.

[emerald40]

With Tiffany & Co there are as much $10,000 items as there are $100 items.

But like I already posted, I do it for my own protection as well to go the extra mile to show that my items are authentic.

[jklfindings]

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@emerald40 wrote:

With Tiffany & Co there are as much $10,000 items as there are $100 items.

But like I already posted, I do it for my own protection as well to go the extra mile to show that my items are authentic.

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There are no where near as many $10,000 Tiffany items in existence as there are $100.  Sure they exist, just not in as high of quantity.  There might be 1 $10,000 for every 1000 $100 item.  Pulling an appraisal on a $100 item just isn't worth the cost of the appraisal IMO.  $1500?  $3000?  Sure...  $100?  It makes no sense to me.