To tell if sunglasses are real, read the inside of the temples first. Every major maker prints or engraves a model number, a color or lens code and a size code there, and the format is specific to the brand: Ray-Ban prints RB followed by the model, Oakley prints OO or a name, Gucci prints GG, Prada prints SPR or PR, and the size reads as three numbers, such as 52 [] 20 145, for lens width, bridge width and temple length. Then look at the lens: Ray-Ban, Persol, Oakley, Maui Jim and most of the luxury houses etch a tiny mark into the glass or polycarbonate that a copy usually prints on or omits. Then the hinges, which are the hardest part to fake well: a seven-barrel hinge on a Ray-Ban Wayfarer, a Meflecto flex hinge on a Persol, a screwless Oakley pivot, a Cartier C with a proper screw. Photos can show whether every one of those points matches the genuine pattern for that model, and they can catch most fakes. They cannot settle a well-made copy, because weight, the feel of the hinge and lens optics only show in hand.
Quick answer
- Look for: the correct model and size code inside the temple, a lens etching in the right place, the right hinge design for the model, matched nose pads and a case and cloth that fit the era.
- Fakes get wrong: the font and spacing of the temple print, the lens etching (missing, printed, or on the wrong side), lightweight hollow hinges, and a size code that does not match the frame.
- Resale as of late 2026: about $30-90 for common Ray-Ban, $60-200 for Oakley, Prada and Gucci, $150-600 for Persol and Oliver Peoples, $400-1,000 for current Cartier, and $500-3,000 for vintage Cartier gold-plated or rare Oakley.
How to check sunglasses, step by step
- Read the inside of the right temple. This is where most brands print the model, the color code and the size. Ray-Ban: RB2140 901 50 [] 22 150, where 901 is the color code. Oakley: the model name or OO number, then a color code such as OO9208-02. Gucci: GG, four digits and a suffix, then a three-digit color code. Prada: SPR or PR, a model, then a lens code such as 1AB-5S0. Persol: PO, the model and a code. Cartier: a serial and a model reference. The print should be crisp, evenly spaced, in the brand's typeface, and should match the frame you are holding. A size code of 58 on a frame measuring 52 across the lens is a copy.
- Read the inside of the left temple. Usually the country of manufacture and a CE mark in Europe. Ray-Ban reads Made in Italy on current frames, and China on some models since about 2014; vintage B&L reads B&L Ray-Ban USA. Oakley reads Made in USA on older frames. The CE mark on a fake is often a copy of the China Export mark, with the C and E touching; on genuine European frames the letters are spaced.
- Find the lens etching. Ray-Ban etches RB in the top corner of the right lens and prints the Ray-Ban script in the top corner of the left lens on most models since about 2000; vintage B&L lenses carry a small BL. Persol etches an arrow or the Persol name. Oakley etches a tiny O near the hinge side and prints the Oakley name on the lens or temple. Maui Jim etches MJ in the lens. Gucci and Prada etch the name or a code at the lens edge near the hinge. On a fake the etching is often missing, printed in paint that scratches off, placed on the wrong lens, or far too large. Tilt the lens under a lamp; the etching is cut into the surface and catches light at an angle.
- Look at the hinges. Hinges are expensive to make well and are the most reliable tell. Ray-Ban Wayfarer and Clubmaster use a seven-barrel hinge; fakes often use five or three. Aviators use a thin flat hinge with a tiny screw. Persol uses the Meflecto system, with the temple built in flexible sections. Oakley uses a screwless pivot on sports frames and a visible Oakley Icon on the temple. Cartier uses a C hinge with a proper screw and the frame reference engraved. Hollow, light or wobbling hinges, or visible glue, are a copy.
- Check the nose pads and bridge. Ray-Ban nose pads on Aviators and metal frames carry the RB logo and are a soft silicone, never hard plastic. Oakley uses Unobtainium, a rubbery grey material that grips when wet. Gucci and Prada use pads with the logo or a clean, matched shape. Mismatched pads, pads with a visible seam, or an uneven bridge are warning signs.
- Judge the lenses as a pair. Genuine glass lenses are heavy and cold, polycarbonate and nylon lenses light and warm. Neither should distort a straight line viewed through the lens. Polarized lenses should darken a phone screen when rotated. Ray-Ban G-15 glass is green-grey, B-15 brown; a Ray-Ban lens that is pure black is a copy or a replacement. Mirror coatings on fakes peel at the edge.
- Look at the case, cloth and paperwork, then discount them. All of these are copied and sold separately, so they add to the sale and nothing to the question.
- Weigh the whole picture. A genuine pair passes every check. The hinges and the size code against the measured frame are the two checks that fakes most often fail together.
What sunglasses sell for used
Prices below are what used frames in good condition, with no lens scratches and original parts, sell for on resale platforms as of late 2026. A case and cloth add about $10-30. Scratched lenses, missing nose pads or replaced temples cut the price in half or more.
| Brand and model | Era | Typical resale, about | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ray-Ban Aviator, Wayfarer, Clubmaster, Luxottica | 1999 onward | $30-90 | The most common pair in any drawer; retail about $160-220 |
| Ray-Ban B&L vintage, USA | 1960s-1998 | $80-300 | Early Aviators, Outdoorsman and Wayfarers in good condition; rare colors higher |
| Oakley sport, current models | 2010 onward | $60-200 | Radar, Holbrook, Flak; Prizm lenses hold value |
| Oakley vintage, Juliet, X Metal, Romeo | 1997-2007 | $400-2,000 | Titanium X Metal frames are collected; serial engraved inside |
| Persol 649, 714, Meflecto | 1960s onward | $100-350 | Folding 714 higher; 1960s Italian frames with original lenses more |
| Gucci, Prada, Versace, Dior, Fendi, Luxottica or Kering made | 2000 onward | $60-250 | Trend driven; discontinued runway pieces higher |
| Cartier, current | 2010 onward | $400-1,000 | Retail about $700-2,000; Santos and Panthere lines |
| Cartier vintage, gold-plated Vendome, Santos, Must | 1983-2000 | $400-3,000 | Paris stamped, serial engraved; the most faked vintage frame |
| Oliver Peoples, Garrett Leight, Moscot | 2005 onward | $100-250 | Retail $300-500; condition matters |
| Mall and gas station frames, any | Any | $0-10 | Including those that carry a famous name on the temple |
The last row is the honest one. A plastic pair with a Ray-Ban temple print, no etching and a mismatched size code sells for nothing and should not be resold as genuine.
Genuine versus copy: a side by side
| Point | Genuine | Common copy |
|---|---|---|
| Temple print | Crisp, even, brand typeface, model matches the frame | Fuzzy, uneven, wrong font, size code that does not match the measured lens |
| Lens etching | Cut into the surface, correct lens and corner, tiny | Missing, painted on, wrong side, oversized |
| Hinge | Correct type for the model, smooth with slight resistance, proper screw | Fewer barrels, hollow, wobbling, glued |
| Nose pads | Branded silicone or correct material, matched | Hard plastic, seam visible, mismatched |
| Lens optics | No distortion, correct tint for the model, polarized if claimed | Distortion, pure black tint on a model that should be green or brown |
| Weight and feel | Dense acetate or metal, cold glass if glass | Light, hollow, warm plastic that smells |
| CE mark | Spaced letters on European frames | C and E touching, or missing |
| Serial, Cartier and Oakley X Metal | Engraved, matches the reference | Missing, printed, wrong format |
The checks that catch the most fakes are the hinge and the size code against a ruler. The checks that prove the least are the case, the cloth and the booklet. The reasoning is the same as for bags, where our guides to Gucci and Prada show that packaging is the cheapest part to copy.
Vintage frames and the Luxottica question
Ray-Ban was made by Bausch & Lomb until 1999, when Luxottica bought the brand and moved production to Italy. Both are genuine; they are different generations. B&L frames carry BL etched in the lens and B&L Ray-Ban on the temple. Luxottica frames carry RB in the lens and Made in Italy. People sometimes call a Luxottica pair fake because it does not match a 1980s pair they remember, and the reverse; both are correct for their era. Our guide to how to tell if Ray-Bans are real walks through the codes year by year. The designer houses nearly all license their eyewear to Luxottica, Safilo, Kering Eyewear, Marcolin or Thelios, so a Gucci pair made by one of those licensees is the normal state, not a warning sign.
How WorthPic reads sunglasses photos
WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. Upload the frame from the front, both temple interiors, the hinge open, the lens corner under a lamp and the nose pads, and it reads the model and size code, checks that the format matches what that brand prints, looks for the etching in the correct corner, compares the hinge to the design that model should carry, and judges the condition of the lenses and the acetate or metal. From that it names the model, estimates the era, gives an honest resale range for that pair in that condition, lists the points that look consistent with a genuine frame and any that do not, and says plainly when a detail is not visible in the photos, most often the depth of the etching, the weight and the hinge feel, and asks for the shot that would help, such as the lens corner tilted under a light. It identifies and estimates. It never authenticates a pair or vouches for it; a reputable authentication service or a reseller that inspects on intake is what settles the question for a frame worth real money.
Common mistakes
- Reading Made in China on a Ray-Ban as proof of a fake. Some current models are made there under Luxottica; the print quality and the etching are what matter.
- Calling a B&L vintage pair fake because it lacks the RB etching. Vintage lenses carry BL; the RB mark arrived after 1999.
- Trusting a case and cloth. Both are sold on their own for a few dollars.
- Ignoring the size code. Measure the lens width in millimeters; a mismatch of more than two millimeters is a copy.
- Assuming a designer frame is worth retail. Most resell at a quarter to a third of the store price within a few years.
What to photograph
- The frame from the front on a plain surface, in daylight.
- The inside of each temple, straight on and in focus, so every character reads.
- The hinge open at ninety degrees, close enough to count the barrels or see the pivot.
- The lens corner tilted under a lamp so an etching catches the light, or so its absence is clear.
- The nose pads and bridge from below.
- Any serial on Cartier or Oakley X Metal frames.
When to get it looked at in person
- A reputable authentication service such as Real Authentication or Legit Check reviews photos of designer and luxury eyewear and issues a written opinion, typically for about $15-40. Worth it for Cartier, vintage Oakley X Metal and any designer frame listed over about $200.
- An authorized optician or brand boutique can confirm that a model and color code exist and will often say whether a frame in hand is consistent with the brand's production, though most will not put that in writing for secondhand frames.
- A reseller that inspects on intake, such as The RealReal, Vestiaire or a vintage eyewear dealer, will decline a copy, which is an answer in itself.
Streetwear from the same closet follows similar rules; see how to tell if a Supreme item is real.