Do you recognize brands when you see them?

[AprilBaby]

Specifically, Tiffany''s , Cartier, etc....

Many posters want the brand. No problemo, BUT, in everyday life, outside of PS, do you REALLY recognize authentic e-rings? Other than being meaningful to YOU, do you think others know what you are wearing? I wouldn''t recognize an authentic Tiff if I saw one. A Cartier maybe. I really like the unique stuff like JM.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I don''t recognize any of the brands. I see pretty rings and may think a particular piece looks like a designer brand, but there are too many knock-offs to assume anything.

 

[upgrade]

Nope, I''d never recognize the brand. The style, maybe, but I couldn''t tell you if it was authentic without looking for the stamp inside the ring. I have 2 friends with authentic Tiffany rings and no one would know unless they removed the ring and showed off the name inside the band.

 

[neatfreak]

It depends. If I see a Tiffany legacy out and about or something unique like that-yes I recognize it. If it''s a classic solitaire I can tell if it''s a well made piece (i.e., if it''s very delicate and fluid) but I couldn''t tell if it was a Tiffany solitaire or just a beautifully executed ring.

 

[Haven]

Date: 11/12/2009 1:42:51 PM
Author: neatfreak
It depends. If I see a Tiffany legacy out and about or something unique like that-yes I recognize it. If it''s a classic solitaire I can tell if it''s a well made piece (i.e., if it''s very delicate and fluid) but I couldn''t tell if it was a Tiffany solitaire or just a beautifully executed ring.

This. The unique branded designs are sometimes recognizable, but classic solitaires either look well done or not.

I''m not much of a brand person, though. One of my good friends was shocked a few weekends ago when I didn''t recognize that she was wearing a hugely expensive Chanel purse. It just wasn''t on my radar so I didn''t notice it.

 

[ms.halo]

Never--they are all copied too much. But I can easily recognize OTHER jewelry items from places like Tiffany, Cartier and VCA.

 

[sba771]

Date: 11/12/2009 1:50:02 PM
Author: ms.halo
Never--they are all copied too much. But I can easily recognize OTHER jewelry items from places like Tiffany, Cartier and VCA.

This...although I see a lot of Bulgari rings and can spot them, but not standard e-rings

 

[Madam Bijoux]

If it's one of their copyrighted designs, I recognize it. But if it's a solitaire in platinum I wouldn't associate it with any of the big name stores. I think I would also be able to recognize some of the things The Almighty made without asking who made them.

 

[4ever]

I recognise the style if it''s distinctive and I have seen it many times before, but I couldn''t say weather or not it was authentic. However this is probably more jewlery like pendants, earings, stacker rings rather than e-rings.

On the whole I probably wouldn''t recognise the style of much branded jewlery, I''m not particularly interested or attracted to big brands so I probably wouldn''t know it was Cartier or Tiffs or a B&M''s version.

 

[Circe]

I recognize ... what to call them? The second-tier brands? I don''t mean "second-tier" in terms of quality, but in terms of popularity: I can recognize the ones that are too unusual to be knocked off, and distinctive enough to be recognizable. So, while I wouldn''t be able to tell a Tiffany ring or a Cartier ring apart from its probable imitation, I think I could spot an Alex Sepkus piece at 20 paces.

 

[yssie]

No. I just assume they're authentic, no matter what the person is wearing/age/.... Probably because I walk round in sweats and hoodies and I've had enough people assume my diamonds aren't real.

Imitations of designer brands in jewellery don't bother me, though - they're 'inspired by' pieces, where the buyer changes details to fit his or her visions, and there's nothing cheap or knocked off about that. If someone was walking around with an exact replica of a designer piece - well, that's very different, and very wrong.


Bags - I can spot a Kate spade or Chanel fakie from a block, and *thats* something I've got a problem with

 

[Tuckins1]

Some- Tacori, specifically, but it''s hard to tell these days if it''s an authentic one or a good copy.

(Not that it matters

)

 

[Gleam]

I can recognize a lot of the more distinctive designs (like the Schlumberger designs from tiffany), and I generally assume those are authentic.

Whether a 6-prong Tiffany setting is actually from Tiffany or not, or a 4-prong from Cartier, I have no idea. I tend to assume not since practically nobody in my circle has a designer ring no matter what their budget was. If I had to make a guess on others'' rings, I''d assume the same.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

I recognize Tacori, and an e-ring from Tiffanys (I later found out 2/3 I recognized were real, I never asked about the last one). That is about it.

 

[Kaleigh]

If it''s a signature piece from Tiff''s yes. If it''s watches?? I know them in a heart beat.... Cariter, Rolex, Ebel, etc....

 

[wsu12]

Date: 11/12/2009 9:08:07 PM
Author: Kaleigh
If it''s a signature piece from Tiff''s yes. If it''s watches?? I know them in a heart beat.... Cariter, Rolex, Ebel, etc....

Ditto on watches. Also, David Yurman because I am a Yurman collector. As far as Cartier or T&Co...I might speculate but without removing the piece, who knows?

 

[exoticisabella]

Yes and no. I can spot quality from a mile away but I usually don''t have a clue that it''s a name brand. Last year I was at TJ Maxx and saw a stunning handbag. Knowing me and what my eye can spot I figured it would be a couple hundred dollars. But noooooo.....it was an authentic Valentino for just over a thousand dollars. I remember that I was so mad at myself for falling in love, once again, with a bag that I couldn''t have that I left the store without hubby and in angry tears. Anyway, point is that I wouldn''t know what the brand of something is but I would know if it''s higher quality or not.

 

[yssie]

Date: 11/12/2009 9:55:39 PM
Author: exoticisabella
Yes and no. I can spot quality from a mile away but I usually don't have a clue that it's a name brand. Last year I was at TJ Maxx and saw a stunning handbag. Knowing me and what my eye can spot I figured it would be a couple hundred dollars. But noooooo.....it was an authentic Valentino for just over a thousand dollars. I remember that I was so mad at myself for falling in love, once again, with a bag that I couldn't have that I left the store without hubby and in angry tears. Anyway, point is that I wouldn't know what the brand of something is but I would know if it's higher quality or not.

Your post reminded me of an experience I had last year - going wine tasting with my fiance and FILs. We tasted blind from what must have been twenty wineries - no info except basic grape type, and I picked the most expensive as my favourite every single time. It was completely bizarre - they just tasted better, somehow, even to me who knows nothing about wine whatsoever. FI, on the other hand, consistently picks the cheapest whites as his favourites

FILs were more bemused than anything else, fortunately

 

[iheartscience]

I can sometimes. I can always tell if a ring is a Ritani Endless Love-same goes for the Harry Winston classic cushion halo setting. I can spot the more obvious Cartier rings, like the Trinity line and that line with the bracelets and rings with screws-I can't spot the engagement rings. I can't really tell if a solitaire is Tiffany just from looking at a woman's hand-I think you need a closer look for that!

And I can always spot watches-Rolex and Cartier ones especially. But watches are a lot bigger than rings!

 

[jewelerman]

Date: 11/12/2009 1:16:44 PM
Author:AprilBaby
Specifically, Tiffany''s , Cartier, etc....

Many posters want the brand. No problemo, BUT, in everyday life, outside of PS, do you REALLY recognize authentic e-rings? Other than being meaningful to YOU, do you think others know what you are wearing? I wouldn''t recognize an authentic Tiff if I saw one. A Cartier maybe. I really like the unique stuff like JM.

Its always been a game with me ever since i was young.Ive read and studied jewelry and timepieces for so many years that its a personal challege to ask people if im correct about the jewelry they are wearing.It was really important to know brands when buying and selling estate jewelry because clients wanted to buy from people who knew about major jewelers like Tiffany,Cartier,Bulgari,Van cleef ect.Even being outside the jewelry trade as I am these days ,when i ask people about their jewelry it will create business.I helped a lady yesterday who was wearing a Michael Boudry ring with a 4 carat emearld cut white diamond center and surrounded by natural pink melee as her right hand ring.She got the biggest smile when I gave her the backround info on her ring and where she bought it(she bought it from a jeweler i used to work for...)She bought three times the amount she came in for and left saying that she wanted to show me the rest of her jewelry collection.

I also enjoy spotting designer clothing brands as well as major names in pens,watches,art,china ,glass, and antique items.The people who seem to like to talk about their jewelry and brand name items are people who wear Tiffany and David Yurman silver and those carrying LV,Coach and Chanel bags.The one brand name i like seeing is Hermes because i see so little of it in my area.

 

[LGK]

I know I boggled one customer recently when I got all enthused over the Van Craeynest ring she was wearing. It was so incredibly beautiful! She'd actually forgotten the name of the designer until I asked her if it was one. She was very flattered but I think she was pretty sure I was a tad loony.

I wouldn't recognize a Tiffany solitaire or a Cartier solitaire as real or a good repro.

I can tell an authentic Galle cameo vase from a Bohemian fake, a real Rene Lalique piece from a modern Czech one with a fake signature, and a real piece of American Brilliant Cut from a modern repro pretty much instantly. Roseville pottery fakes are terrible, and if you've EVER seen a real piece, the fakes stand out like a sore thumb.

Interestingly modern Jadite glass items, like Martha Stewart's line, are not instantly noticeable. They're pretty well done. Without the mark on the bottom, you'd be totally taken in.

Depression glass is harder because it was cheap and, er, made that way, to begin with, so I need a reference book and a measuring stick to tell a repro of some patterns, but the weird greasy feel of a fake is pretty much a good tip off and the patterns are often badly met at the seams. (A few Depression glass repros, like Cherry Blossom repros are just atrociously done and are instantly noticeable.) Other commonly reproduced antiques, like Staffordshire dogs, Nippon porcelain, Victorian art glass etc., are not things I'd be able to pinpoint instantly as a repro, but you definitely get a feel for "wrongness" pretty well- then you research to find out more, and often a hunch that something isn't what it appears to be is totally right.

OK I totally digressed! Sorry!

 

[Londongirl1]

Date: 11/12/2009 3:53:05 PM
Author: 4ever
I recognise the style if it''s distinctive and I have seen it many times before, but I couldn''t say weather or not it was authentic. However this is probably more jewlery like pendants, earings, stacker rings rather than e-rings.

On the whole I probably wouldn''t recognise the style of much branded jewlery, I''m not particularly interested or attracted to big brands so I probably wouldn''t know it was Cartier or Tiffs or a B&M''s version.

Ditto - If someone is wearing a ring that has a nice design I''ll compliment them on it - personally I don''t care whether it''s designer or not

 

[HopeDream]

I''m interested in learning to spot brands, I''m slowly studying who makes what.

I''m now getting a feel for who makes what by looking at cheaper jewellery/watches, and then trying to figure out who''s design it was likely based on.

I find who picks what brand very interesting - especialy because my city is rather out of the way of easy access to haute brand name goods, so when you see a notable peice it''s because they''ve realy gone out of their way to get it.

 

[Elmorton]

Yes and no...two of my friends have authentic Tiffany e-rings, and while they''re stunning, I absolutely couldn''t tell them from a WF or my local B&M jeweler''s pieces.

But, for other branded popular items, I can tell right away - a Tiffany key vs a knockoff a real David Yurman vs a fake (although this is harder, since there are some nicer brands copying the style with higher quality gemstones) a real Pandora vs a fake etc. I''m starting to notice watches, now, too.

I think the one thing I can tell right away is craftsmanship. I feel like if I saw a Leon or a JM on the street, I''d probably know it.

 

[packrat]

If it was a JM or one of Sally''s, like a lotus or pillbox or something, yes, but otherwise, nope. If it''s clothing, shoes, purses, watches..I wouldn''t have the foggiest idea, unless it had the brand name written all over it. I''ve seen things w/the Burberry plaid pattern, and know it''s not the real deal..as much as I love that plaid, I never buy anything that resembles it b/c I feel like I''m cheating, even tho I just think it''s pretty.