To judge whether a Tiffany piece is consistent with the real thing, start with the stamps, then the quality of the metalwork, then the weight. Genuine Tiffany jewelry is marked with "TIFFANY & CO." or "T & CO." together with a metal mark such as 925, AG925, 750 or PT950, and designer pieces add "ELSA PERETTI" or "PALOMA PICASSO". On genuine pieces these marks are evenly spaced, cleanly struck or engraved, and sit where they belong for that model. Fakes, especially of the Return to Tiffany heart tag bracelet and necklace, tend to have shallow or crowded lettering, wrong spacing, light weight, plated brass under the silver and poor solder joints. The blue box, the pouch and even a receipt prove nothing, because all three are sold separately online. A photo can show whether the marks and finish look consistent with Tiffany's work. It cannot settle authenticity, which is a job for Tiffany itself or a specialist authenticator handling the piece.
Quick answer
- Real Tiffany is stamped TIFFANY & CO. or T & CO. with 925, AG925, 750 or PT950, in clean, even lettering placed where that model normally carries it.
- Crowded or shallow letters, light weight, yellow showing under silver and open links are common signs of a copy. The box and pouch prove nothing.
- Popular sterling pieces such as the Return to Tiffany heart tag resell for approximately $100-250. Copies have little value beyond a few dollars.
How to check yours, step by step
- Find every stamp. On necklaces and bracelets, look on the clasp, the jump ring tag and the back of the tag or pendant. On rings, look inside the band. On earrings, look on the back of the post or the clip. You are looking for TIFFANY & CO. or T & CO., a metal mark (925, AG925, STERLING, 750, AU750, PT950), and on designer pieces a name such as ELSA PERETTI or PALOMA PICASSO, often with a copyright sign.
- Read the lettering under magnification. Use a loupe or macro photo with side light. Genuine lettering is evenly spaced, the same depth from letter to letter, aligned on a straight or evenly curved line, with a clear ampersand. Fakes often show letters of different heights, a smudged ampersand, crowded spacing or a stamp that runs off the edge.
- Check the clasp. Tiffany chains and bracelets commonly have a lobster or spring ring clasp marked T & CO. or with a small tag near it. An unmarked generic clasp on a supposedly genuine chain is worth noting, though clasps do get replaced in repairs.
- Look at the links and joins. On genuine chains, links are closed and soldered so they cannot pull apart. Open links with a gap, rough solder blobs or uneven links are common on copies.
- Check the color at wear points. Sterling silver stays white all the way through. Yellow, pink or grey showing at edges, the tag rim or the clasp means plated base metal, which Tiffany does not use for its silver jewelry.
- Weigh it. Use a scale that reads in grams. Genuine Tiffany silver pieces are solid and feel substantial. Compare your weight with listings for the exact model from established resellers. A piece that is clearly lighter is a warning sign.
- Compare against a known genuine example. Find the same model on Tiffany's own site or from a large reseller with an authentication program, and compare the font, the position of the marks, the tag shape and the clasp style.
What the stamps mean
| Stamp | What it means | Where you usually see it |
|---|---|---|
| TIFFANY & CO. | Full brand mark | Tags, pendants, inside rings, cufflinks |
| T & CO. | Short brand mark | Clasps, small tags, jump rings, earring backs |
| 925, STERLING | Sterling silver, 92.5 percent | Older pieces often say STERLING or 925, many with both |
| AG925 | Sterling silver, with the chemical symbol for silver | More common on newer pieces |
| 750, AU750, 18K | 18 karat gold, 75 percent | Gold pieces, sometimes with a © and year |
| PT950 | 95 percent platinum | Engagement rings and fine pieces |
| ©ELSA PERETTI or E. PERETTI | Designed by Elsa Peretti, sold by Tiffany since the 1970s | Bean, Open Heart, Diamonds by the Yard, Bone cuff |
| ©PALOMA PICASSO or PALOMA PICASSO | Designed by Paloma Picasso, sold by Tiffany since about 1980 | Loving Heart, X, Olive Leaf, Graffiti pieces |
| Country names such as SPAIN or ITALY | Place of manufacture on some designer silver | Some Peretti pieces in particular |
| 1837 | Name of a Tiffany collection, not a date of manufacture | Rings, cuffs and pendants from the 1837 line |
| PLEASE RETURN TO TIFFANY & CO. NEW YORK | Return to Tiffany collection | Heart and oval tags, often with 925 on the back |
Not every genuine piece has every stamp, and stamp styles changed over the decades. Older pieces may be marked STERLING rather than 925. Some newer pieces carry crisp, shallow laser marks rather than deep struck stamps, so depth alone does not decide anything. What matters is that the marks match what Tiffany used on that model in that period. For more on silver fineness marks, see our guide on what 925 means on jewelry.
The Return to Tiffany tag and the heart tag bracelet
The Return to Tiffany line began in 1969 as a key ring with an engraved tag inviting the finder to return it to Tiffany in New York. The heart and oval tag necklaces and bracelets that followed are among the most copied jewelry designs in the world.
On genuine tags, the words PLEASE RETURN TO TIFFANY & CO. NEW YORK are evenly spaced and centered, with the letters a consistent size and depth. The tag edge is smooth and the tag is thick enough to feel solid. The back of the tag is typically stamped with 925 and often with TIFFANY & CO. or T & CO. The ring holding the tag is closed and soldered.
Copies of the heart tag bracelet tend to show several of these signs together:
- Lettering that is too thin, too bold, crowded at one end or slightly off center.
- An ampersand that looks blurred or differently shaped.
- A tag that feels thin or light and has rough or sharp edges.
- Links that are not soldered, with visible gaps.
- A clasp with no marking, or a marking that is shallow and poorly aligned.
- Yellow or grey showing through at the edges, meaning plated brass.
- A tag that is a slightly different shape than the genuine model, often wider or more rounded.
One sign alone means little, because genuine pieces wear, get repaired and get polished. Several signs together are a strong reason for caution.
The blue box, the pouch and paperwork
Tiffany's robin's egg blue box, the blue suede or felt pouch and the white satin ribbon are recognizable, and they help a genuine piece sell. They do not prove anything about the jewelry inside. Empty boxes and pouches sell online by the thousand, and fake pieces are routinely shipped in them. Receipts and gift cards can be copied or reused. Treat packaging as a bonus that adds a little to resale of a genuine piece, not as evidence.
What genuine pieces sell for
These are typical secondhand prices for genuine pieces in good condition, not retail. Gold and diamond pieces move with gold prices and stone quality.
| Piece | Material | Typical resale |
|---|---|---|
| Return to Tiffany heart tag necklace | Sterling | $100-250 |
| Return to Tiffany heart tag bracelet | Sterling | $100-250 |
| Return to Tiffany toggle necklace or bracelet | Sterling | $100-250 |
| Elsa Peretti Open Heart pendant | Sterling | $75-175 |
| Elsa Peretti Bean pendant | Sterling | $75-175 |
| Elsa Peretti Bone cuff | Sterling | $400-1,200 |
| Elsa Peretti Diamonds by the Yard, single small diamond | 18K or sterling | $250-1,200 |
| Paloma Picasso Loving Heart or X pendant | Sterling | $75-200 |
| Tiffany 1837 cuff or ring | Sterling | $75-250 |
| Atlas ring or pendant | Sterling | $75-200 |
| Tiffany T wire bracelet | 18K gold | $1,000-2,000 |
| Tiffany T or Knot pieces | 18K gold | Several hundred to a few thousand |
| Platinum diamond engagement ring | Platinum and diamond | Driven by the diamond and its grading report |
| Copy of any of the above | Plated base metal or unbranded silver | $0-20 |
Sterling Tiffany pieces sell well above the value of their silver, which is why the brand mark matters so much. A genuine heart tag bracelet holds a few dollars of silver and sells for over $100. A copy in sterling is worth only its silver weight, and a copy in plated brass is worth almost nothing. For signed fashion jewelry from other houses, see our guide to costume jewelry.
What photos show and what only Tiffany or an authenticator settles
Clear photos show a lot: the font, spacing and alignment of every mark, the shape of the tag, the clasp, whether links are soldered, wear through to base metal, and how the whole piece compares with the genuine model. WorthPic reads those details, identifies the model and estimates value. When marks and construction look consistent with Tiffany's work, it says so, and when they do not, it says what does not match. It does not give a verdict on authenticity.
What a photo cannot do is measure exact weight, test the metal, feel the tag thickness or confirm a stamp that is worn. Good fakes made in solid sterling with careful lettering exist and need handling by someone who sees genuine pieces every day. Tiffany stores will generally clean, polish or repair pieces they recognize as their own, but they generally do not issue written authentication. For a written opinion, a resale platform with an authentication team or an independent jewelry authenticator is the usual route. Our guide on how to tell if silver is real covers the metal tests.
Common mistakes
- Treating the blue box or pouch as proof. Both are sold separately and come with many fakes.
- Judging by one sign. Genuine pieces get worn and repaired, and some fakes are well made.
- Assuming deep stamps are always genuine and shallow ones are fake. Newer genuine pieces may be laser marked.
- Polishing hard to remove tarnish. It can soften the lettering that buyers inspect.
- Pricing a copy in sterling as Tiffany. Without the genuine brand, it is worth its silver weight.
- Ignoring a missing or replaced clasp. It is not proof of a fake, but buyers notice and ask.
- Assuming 1837 is a date. It is the year Tiffany was founded and the name of a collection.
What to photograph
- Every stamp in sharp macro, lit from the side, including the back of tags and the clasp.
- The full piece on a plain background in daylight.
- The tag front and back, straight on.
- A close-up of several links, showing whether they are soldered.
- Any wear at edges and the clasp.
- The piece on a scale with the weight in grams.
When to get it looked at in person
- A Tiffany store can look at a piece and offer cleaning or repair on items it recognizes. That is an informal signal, not a written opinion.
- A resale platform or consignment house with an authentication team examines the piece before listing, usually at no upfront cost if you sell through them.
- An independent jewelry authenticator gives a written opinion, often for roughly $20-100 per item online or more in person. Worth it before selling a gold or diamond piece privately.
- A jeweler can test the metal for a few dollars or at no charge, which helps when the question is whether a piece is sterling or plated.
- An appraiser charges roughly $50-150 per item. Worth it for diamond and gold pieces needing insurance values.