Hermès is when the hot stamp is too perfect and feels embossed and pressed down , including the leather around the hot stamp . Hermès does not press down when applying their hot stamp , so if it looks like it was stamped on , this is a red flag .
LOUIS VUITTON
When it comes to Louis Vuitton counterfeits , we have seen clients rely on the date code checker online to determine whether the bag is counterfeit . However , the checker only decodes the date code . It does not mean the bag is authentic . When you see a Louis Vuitton date code , it will normally be formatted with 2 letters , then 4 numbers following unless it is vintage , in which case the format can be found with 2 letters and only 3 numbers to follow .
Example : DU2106
The 2 letters indicate where the item was produced , whether it be in France , Spain , Italy , the United States . The 4 numbers will indicate the week and year it was produced . How you would decipher that is the first and third number will tell you the week it was produced . In this example , that would be the 20th week ( 2 + 0 ). And the second number and last number would indicate the year . In this example , it would be ( 1 + 6 ), which means 2016 .
If you ever see a NOT FOR SALE stamp or an odd circle stamp which has a “ V ” or similar shape letter inside , this means it was purchased from a staff member using their staff discount of up to 50 % off .
CHANEL
Chanel has some of the best superfakes out there . When Chanel released their new metal plaque instead of their hologram sticker and authenticity card , Luxe du Jour needed 6 months to learn and perfect authentication before fully accepting any items with this new plaque . We built a relationship with Chanel authentication specialist Zeko ’ s Authentication . What follows are some red flags to look out for when it comes to Chanel authentication .
The way Chanel engraves their metal plaque has a certain pattern to it when looked at under a microscope ( 10x ). This is an essential key to helping determine authenticity . The serial engravings should show multiple little rings that make up the code , whereas we have seen the superfake have engravings with straight lines . The serial code on the plaque is similar to a car ’ s
VIN and can be ran through Chanel ’ s internal database which will match the exact specifications of the bag .
An outdated internet source of authentication when it comes to Chanel that is very misleading is counting the stitches . A source online says that each diamond quilt should have 11 stitches , and if there are fewer , then it is a counterfeit . This is untrue and outdated . You will see most Classic Flaps now have fewer than 11 stitches per quilt and should have 9 , but styles and models will vary .
When it comes to keeping up with authenticity , it ’ s important to know that over the years , things will change similar to the dollar bill . A dollar bill had different indicating features 10 years ago than it does today . Someone who has never seen a dollar bill from 10 years ago might think that it was fake only because they have never seen that dollar bill . Over the years , the reason why the dollar bill changes minor features is to prevent the counterfeit industry from keeping up . This is also one of the reasons why brands also make changes to their models .
If you ever see a NOT FOR SALE embossed stamp inside the flap of a Chanel near the hot stamp or a permanent marker crossing out the hot stamp , it means that it was part of a staff sale . A Chanel staff purchased the bag with their staff discount and the authenticity card was removed from the purchase with one of these markings to prevent staff from reselling .
BALENCIAGA
When looking at Balenciaga bags , the first thing you should look at is the back of the metal rivet on the studded hardwares . The back should have a deep U cut out on both sides of the metal rivet , so if you do not see this , that is an immediate red flag . Something we have seen in better counterfeits is that there is a cut out , but more of a C cut out than a deep U .
GUCCI
When looking at Gucci bags , take a look at the hot stamp and date code as this is a quick way to check for authenticity . The font is clearly embossed and a smaller print , and knowing the exact size of the print is important . With a counterfeit , it is much larger and blurry which is an indication of a counterfeit .
If you ever see an additional stamp G in a circle , it means that it was part of an outlet sale .
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