How to Spot Fake Van Cleef & Arpels Jewelry

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Plus, tips on how to avoid buying fake Van Cleef jewelry

Co-authored by Cory Schifter and Devin McSween

Last Updated: September 18, 2025 Fact Checked

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Differences Between Real & Fake Van Cleef

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How to Avoid Buying Fakes

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Tips

Van Cleef & Arpels is a luxury jeweler best known for their iconic Alhambra motif bracelets, necklaces, rings, and earrings. Due to the popularity of their beautiful designs, though, Van Cleef & Arpels pieces are duped quite a bit. So, how can you tell if your jewelry is real? In this article, we’ll tell you how to spot fake Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry and give you tips on how to avoid buying fakes. Keep reading to learn more!

How to Tell If Van Cleef & Arpels Jewelry is Real

Logo: “VCA” is neatly engraved on the tag or side of the motif.
Material mark: “Au 750” is neatly engraved on the tag or motif.
Serial number: The number is clearly engraved on the tag or motif.
Clasp: The diamond “VCA” logo is engraved on the clasp.
Motif: The motif is perfectly crafted and uses high-quality gems.

Section 1 of 2:

Differences Between Real & Fake Van Cleef Jewelry

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Logo All Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry is engraved with “VCA” or “Van Cleef & Arpels” somewhere on the jewelry. On most necklaces and some bracelets, it's engraved on a small tag along the chain, while with other bracelets, it’s engraved on the side of the motif closest to the clasp. The engraving is thin and clear, and uses consistent lettering.^{[1]
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- Signs the jewelry is fake: The logo just says “Van Cleef,” or doesn’t include a logo at all. If the jewelry does include the correct logo, the engraving might be too thick, use an inconsistent font, or be hard to read.
- Note: On earrings, the engraving is typically on the earring backs. On rings, the engraving is usually on the inside of the band.
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Material engraving Van Cleef & Arpels’ jewelry pieces are made out of 18 karat gold, whether it's yellow, white, or rose gold. So, each piece of jewelry is engraved with “Au 750” to indicate its 75% solid gold. This is usually engraved right next to the “VCA” logo, either on a tag or the side of a motif. The engraving is also thin, precise, and easy to read.^{[2]
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- Signs the jewelry is fake: The engraving uses a capital “U” rather than a lowercase “u” (“AU 750” vs “Au 750”). The engraving may be very thick, have inconsistent lettering, or be hard to read, too.^{[3]
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Serial number Each piece of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry is engraved with a unique serial number that proves its authenticity. The number is engraved on the other side of the tag on the chain, or along the edge of the motif closest to the chain. Like the other engravings, the code is thin, crisp, and precise.^{[4]
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- Signs the jewelry is fake: The serial number is engraved poorly and hard to read. The letters may be very close together, use an inconsistent font, or appear very thick. Or, there might not be a serial number at all.
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Clasp The clasp on all Van Cleef & Arpels bracelets and necklaces features a diamond-shaped piece that’s engraved with the “VCA” logo, with a tower in between the “C” and “A.” The clasp itself is smooth, sturdy, and easy to use. It’s also well-made without any rough bits or imperfections.^{[5]
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- Signs the jewelry is fake: The “VCA” logo may be poorly engraved and hard to read, or it might not be on the clasp at all. The clasp itself might also feel flimsy and hard to open or look poorly made.
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Design motif Van Cleef & Arpels' most iconic design is the Alhambra motif, which looks like a 4-leaf clover. Whether it’s on a necklace, bracelet, ring, or earrings, the Alhambra motif is made out of a gemstone and bordered with gold circles. Each motif is handcrafted and expertly made to the same perfect shape. The motifs also look and feel high-quality and substantial.^{[6]
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- Signs the jewelry is fake: The Alhambra motif may appear too large, too small, or too thick compared to real motifs. The motif may be out of shape, or each motif on a piece of jewelry may look slightly different. The dots along the border might look squashed or imperfect. The craftsmanship may look poor, or the motif may feel flimsy.
- Note: Van Cleef & Arpels makes other motifs, like butterflies, flowers, and hearts. Like the Alhambra motifs, these designs are also impeccably made, uniform, and feel substantial.
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Gemstones Van Cleef & Arpels uses gemstones like onyx, pearl, and agate in most of their jewelry designs, like the Alhambra collection. Some designs also include diamonds. Whichever stone(s) the jewelry uses, it is the highest quality, super clear, and impeccably cut. The gemstones also sit flush within their settings. As all the gems and diamonds used are real, they have a substantial quality to them, too.
- Signs the jewelry is fake: The gemstones used may appear cloudy or very transparent, indicating that they’re of poor quality or fake (i.e., made out of glass or plastic).^{[7]
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- Note: Since Van Cleef & Arpels uses real gemstones and each gemstone is unique, there are natural differences between each piece of jewelry. While some coloration differences are normal, the jewelry might be fake if it’s an entirely different shade or color (like a very light blue for agate rather than the authentic, deep blue color).
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Chain The chains that Van Cleef & Arpels use for their jewelry are thick, sturdy, and smooth. Each link is expertly crafted and has a super substantial feel. The links are also super smooth and highly polished, without any rough areas or pieces poking out.^{[8]
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- Signs the jewelry is fake: The chain may feel thin, lightweight, and flimsy. It might appear poorly made, with inconsistently sized chains and rough spots. The chain itself might either be dull or artificially shiny.
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Overall quality Van Cleef & Arpels is a luxury jewelry designer, so everything about their pieces is high-quality. The gold is heavy and substantial with a polished sheen. The motifs, clasps, chains, and other details are expertly made with no visible imperfections. No gemstone or diamond is out of place, either.
- Signs the jewelry is fake: The jewelry simply looks and feels low-quality. It may feel lightweight and flimsy, or even like it's made out of plastic. You might see imperfections, like inconsistently sized motifs and gems, and shoddy craftsmanship.
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Authenticity certificate Every piece of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry comes with an authenticity certificate that guarantees it’s genuine. The card is printed on thick, high-quality paper with the “VCA” tower logo as the background. It includes the jewelry’s serial number, reference number, and the date it was purchased. The certificate is stamped with the location it was purchased from and includes a holographic “VCA” sticker.^{[9]
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- Signs the jewelry is fake: The jewelry doesn’t come with an authenticity certificate, or the certificate doesn’t include the serial number, reference number, date of purchase, or stamp. The certificate might be printed on plain, flimsy paper, too.
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Packaging Simply receiving a Van Cleef & Arpels piece of jewelry is a luxurious experience. The outer box is white with “Van Cleef & Arpels” printed in silver in the center, as well as the “VCA” logo printed on the right corner. The jewelry box is suede and a soft sage color with a silver “VCA” logo printed in the right corner. The inside is black velvet, with “Van Cleef & Arpels” printed in silver on the inside of the lid.^{[10]
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- Signs the jewelry is fake: The outer box may feel flimsy, and the jewelry box might be the wrong shade of green and be made out of plastic. The logos might use the wrong font, size, or color, and be printed in the wrong areas.
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Price Jewelry from Van Cleef & Arpels comes with a very high price tag. The classic Alhambra bracelet costs at least $5,000, while necklaces, earrings, and rings start at $1,500 and up. Pre-owned jewelry isn’t much cheaper, as Van Cleef & Arpels’ pieces don’t tend to depreciate much in value.
- Signs the jewelry is fake: The jewelry is significantly underpriced and seems too good to be true. Even on second-hand markets, most authentic Van Cleef & Arpels pieces only sell for a couple of hundred dollars under retail value.

Section 2 of 2:

How to Avoid Buying Fake Van Cleef Jewelry

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Buy jewelry from Van Cleef & Arpels or a reputable seller. The best way to ensure your Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry is authentic is to buy it from one of their boutiques or to order it from their website. If you’re looking for pre-owned pieces, shop at trustworthy stores like The RealReal.
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Compare the seller’s photos to real pictures of the jewelry. If you’re buying a pre-owned Van Cleef & Arpels piece, carefully look at the images of the jewelry that the seller provides. Check all the details that we mentioned above, and then look up an image of an authentic piece to compare it to. If you notice that anything is missing or seems off, buy from a different seller.^{[11]
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Federal Trade Commission
Website with up-to-date information for consumers from the Federal Trade Commisson

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Choose a seller that is highly reviewed. When shopping second-hand, it’s super important that you buy from a trustworthy seller to help ensure you get an authentic piece. Make sure the seller has made lots of sales and read through their reviews to see if people are happy with their purchases. If the reviews are bad or raise lots of red flags, go with a different seller.^{[12]
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Stay away from jewelry pieces that are priced super low. Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry is expensive, regardless of whether it’s new or pre-owned. If someone’s selling a bracelet or necklace that’s a couple of hundred dollars or less, there’s a very good chance it’s fake. People who are selling authentic pieces know how expensive they are and will price them accordingly.

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Tips

Van Cleef & Arpels does provide authentication services if you’re still not sure whether your jewelry is real or not. Visit a boutique near you, or call Van Cleef & Arpels at +1-888-795-2533. The authentication service costs $1,800.^{[13]
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Alternatively, use an authentication service like LegitGrails.

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