Product Authentication
Product authentication is sometimes difficult to spot. There are fake designer products everywhere you look for example:
- Handbags
- Sun glasses
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Prescription Drugs
- dvd's
- Electronics
- Jewelry, Diamonds and Watches
- Sports Memorabilia
- Art
- Collector Coins and Stamps
- Fake Lending Services
The list goes on and on - many of these fake products are produced in China and other countries worldwide. Why are there so some many fake designer products? Because people are willing to purchase them at reduced prices and unaware they are fake.
There are many websites that claim to offer designer products at low cost. If you think you found a great deal on a designer product, make sure it's the real deal and not a fake or knock off. Don't get caught up in the great deal you think your getting and forget about quality.
If you want a fake or knock off, it wouldn't be hard to find. There are many Internet and auction sites that claim to be selling the real designer product. Your first clue will be the price -- if it's too cheap, you know it's not the real designer product you are looking to purchase.
Spotting An Authentic Designer Handbag
If you are planning on purchasing a costly authentic designer handbag, you need to be on the lookout for fake designer handbags. While there may be some obvious ways to tell whether or not you are getting a fake designer handbag and not an authentic designer handbag, sometimes it is not as apparent. For example, if you are looking at a handbag out of the back of a van or on a street corner in a major city, chances are that it is not an authentic designer handbag. However, if you are looking in a small boutique, it is still possible to get ripped off by a fake designer handbag. Here is some information on spotting an authentic designer handbag.
Pay Attention to the Small Details on the Product
Extreme attention to detail is what makes designer handbags cost so much. An authentic designer handbag will have had many hours of hand labor put into it. There will be no machine assembly line putting together an authentic designer handbag. Fake designer handbags, however, will most likely have been assembled on an assembly line. Because of this, there will not be the attention to detail that you will find with an authentic designer handbag. You might find small nicks or tears in the material or puckers in the threads on a fake designer handbag. In addition, the material itself will not be nearly as high quality as a real designer handbag. The fake designer handbags might be fake leather handbags instead of real leather, or fake animal fur lining instead of real animal fur lining.
Logos And Brand Names
The logos and brand names of the purses are what make a designer purse a designer purse. Without the label or the logo, people would not even notice if it was a designer handbag or not. An authentic designer handbag will have the correct logo and brand name or label on the purse where it is supposed to be. Be sure to study the brands that you are going to be looking at in the store before you actually go. If you do that, then you will be able to spot the smallest differences that make a designer purse a fake. For example, an authentic designer handbag will have the designer’s name spelled correctly. A fake designer handbag might have one letter missing or two letters inverted in the designer’s name.
If you abide by this information, you will be able to confidently purchase your own authentic designer handbag!
Real or Fake Diamonds
Buying diamond jewelry is not a task to be taken lightly. If you
don't do your research, you could end up getting swindled. Brush
up with a little Diamond Buying 101 so that you can navigate
your way through the wide world of diamond jewelry without
getting lost.
These days, there is more fake diamond jewelry
made than there is real diamond jewelry so you need to be able to
recognize the difference. I can tell you it is sometimes very
difficult.
Diamond certification is essential when you're buying a diamond and is different from a jeweler’s appraisal, although the certification is part of any appraisal. Many diamonds look the same, but not all of them are going to be of the quality you might like. Diamond certification is the written proof of a diamond's attributes. Without it, you have no assurance that the diamond you are buying is of the quality you're paying for. With it, you know the precise grading for each of the 4Cs – color, cut, clarity and carat weight, and, therefore, the diamond value.
- Diamonds come in different colors (colorless or near colorless diamonds are far more expensive than slightly colored diamonds) and
- Diamond cut refers to the shape of the diamond which are the most common cuts are round, princess and pear.
- Diamond clarity (some diamonds are totally flawless while other have visible inclusions). Popular colored diamonds these days are pink, blue and yellow diamonds thanks to celebrity buys.Most diamond jewelry is priced according to the diamond cut, carat, color and clarity. If someone offers you a diamond of poor clarity, one that is fraught with visible inclusions, you'll know that it's not worth much and then you can bargain accordingly.
- Diamond carat refers to the weight, and size of the diamond
Certification gives you the information you need to assess a diamond's value compared to other diamonds. It also allows you to make an intelligent comparison with other diamonds either in the same jewelry store or in another.
Diamond certificates are issued by independent gemological laboratories, not your jeweler. There are several grading laboratories, the most prominent being: the International Gemological Institute (IGI); the Gemological Institute of America (GIA); the American Gem Society (AGS); the European Gemological Laboratories (EGL) and GemEx Systems.
When you buy a diamond, be sure to question the sales associate first about the characteristics or attributes of the stone. Ask to see the diamond certification that will accompany the diamond when you purchase it. If you do some comparison shopping, you will note that the quality of the diamonds each jeweler carries varies depending on the store.
A diamond certification will also give you indicators about other diamond qualities, such as fire, brilliance and scintillation, also called Return of Light. These qualities refer to how light is refracted back to the viewer when held stationary or when in motion. The certification will also give you a measure of the stones fluorescence. These factors also impact the beauty and brilliance of your diamond.
