Authentic Pandora Jewelry – 3 ways to Know if Your Pandora Beads are Genuine
Pandora Jewelry is one of the hottest jewellery brands that the world has seen. Though with that popularity a host of copy-cat brands have emerged which are trying to lure consumers into thinking that the copy-cats are Pandora beads. This article will help you to know whether a Pandora bead or Pandora bracelet that you have, or are looking at purchasing is a genuine authentic Pandora piece.
There are three ways for you to know if the item is a genuine Pandora piece.
1. The Pandora Hallmark
The first and best way to know whether an item is an authentic Pandora is in accordance with the Pandora company’s guidelines when it comes to looking for the Pandora hallmark on the Bead or Bracelet.
Most Pandora jewellery items are now marked with the letters ‘ALE’ together with 925 on silver items and the numbers 585 on gold items.
‘ALE’ are the initials of Per Enevoldsen’s father who was called Algot Enevoldsen. Per Enevoldsen is the founder of Pandora so the lettering now displayed on Pandora jewellery is the original jeweller’s hallmark.
925 is the jewellery symbol representing silver and 585 is the jewellery symbol representing 14ct gold.
If you can see this hallmark on your Pandora Jewellery, that is an indication that item should be Authentic Pandora Jewellery. However, it is unfortunately possible for other copy-cat companies to add that engraving to copy-cat products, so in addition to the hallmark you would also need to look at the next two steps to determine the authenticity of the item.
2. Is the Seller an Authorised Pandora Retailer?
Another way of knowing whether the item that you are purchasing is a genuine Authentic Pandora Jewelry item is by knowing whether the seller of the items is an authorised Pandora Retailer.
Only specific retailers are authorised to sell Authentic Pandora Jewellery.
To know whether the place that you are buying your Pandora Jewellery from is authorised to sell Authentic Pandora Jewellery, you can look at the list of authorised Pandora stockists shown on the official Pandora Jewellery web site. The official Pandora Jewellery web site Pandora-Jewelry.com shows the authorised Pandora retailers by region.
You’ll be pleased to know that if you are purchasing your Pandora Jewellery from Gillett’s Jewellers, Gillett’s Jewellers is an authorised Pandora retailer for Pandora Jewellery.
Do not buy Pandora beads from eBay!
If you see Pandora Jewellery available for sale through eBay or other online auction websites, you should be warned, eBay sellers are not authorised sellers of Pandora Jewellery. Pandora specifically does not allow Pandora retailers to sell Pandora jewellery through eBAY. If you purchase jewellery through eBay, there is no way for you to know whether the items that you receive will be genuine Pandora beads. It is therefore strongly suggested that you only purchase Pandora jewellery through authorised Pandora retailers for your protection and piece of mind.
Several eBay sellers also falsely claim that some beads have been retired/discontinued and are charging exorbitant fees for them. You should note that discontinued Pandora charms are sold at their normal price – they are not sold at higher prices by authorised Pandora retailers. Any seller selling a Pandora charm for a higher than normal recommended retail price should be avoided.
3. Matching the Product
The third way that you can know whether a bead is an authentic Pandora jewellery bead is to look at the product and match it with a product shown on the official Pandora Jewellery web site or on the Gillett’s Jewellers web site.
When doing this, you should note that the official Pandora web site only shows products that are currently in production. That means that Pandora products that have been discontinued or retired, may not appear on the Pandora official web site.
The two methods above are better than this method when it comes to knowing if a jewellery item is genuine Pandora – but this method can also be helpful.
When it comes to matching the appearance of the jewellery with an item shown on the official Pandora web site – There are many copy-cat designs now available, but the copy-cat designs are often not exact matches with the official authentic Pandora beads.
The quality and craftsmanship of the Pandora beads is also far superior to the copy-cat brands. You’ll also see that many copy-cat brands similar to Pandora offer glass beads with hand painted designs or raised painted sections. Where some other copy-cat beads use glass beads with the designs and patterns painted on the outside of the glass, Pandora Murano Glass designs are created within the glass so the design runs right through the bead itself. If the bead that you are looking at has painted glass, you will know that it is not an authentic Pandora.
Hopefully these three tips will help you to know how to purchase only Authentic Pandora Jewellery and Genuine Pandora Beads and Bracelets. See Authentic Pandora Jewelry now.
Gillett’s guarantee that Pandora jewellery purchased from Gillett’s Jewellers is genuine Pandora jewellery and Gillett’s are authorised Pandora retailers.
Please note that this article is provided for informational purposes only, and Gillett’s will not be held liable or responsible for any items that you purchase or have purchased from other jewellery stores or other web sites. Any items that you purchase from other jewellery stores, eBAY, auction websites or other websites (other than from Gillett’s Jewellers) is purchased at your own risk.
Posted in Pandora | 33 Comments »
August 6th, 2008 at 8:08 am
How about the bracelet itself? How do you know if it is the genuine one? is it always coming with “pandora” written on the clasp?
August 6th, 2008 at 10:47 am
All genuine Pandora is identifiable by the letters ALE stamped somewhere on the piece. In the Pandora bead clasp bracelets, this marking is found on the inside of the clasp itself, along with the 925 marking for sterling silver. The traditional bracelets with the parrot clasps are stamped on the loop at the end of the bracelet.
August 6th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Thank you – I knew that I could afford an authentic Pandors, and was offered ‘one’ going at an reasonable price – thank goodness I did not buy it as I would have been taken for a ride. I still cannot afford a Pandora, but at least I was not ripped off wasting my money on something worthles as I know the inside of the clasp had nothing stamped on it.
December 5th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
I bought a gold clasp necklace which had ‘ALE 585′ stamped but not embedded in the clasp, it was on like a tiny tab in the clasp. Is this right? would it still be authentic?
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:41 am
Yes, some of the Pandora jewellery items have a little tag that looks like a little flat oval shaped charm which has the Pandora authenticity stamp on it.
February 1st, 2009 at 12:27 pm
How can i tell if my bead is authentic? I have bought a pandora bead and it looks the same as on the website but i am not sure where the markings 925ss ALE are mean to be, the bead is threaded like what i have read but i am not sure if these beads are supposed to have all the markings as described above, can you tell me where it is mean to be or if the plain sterling silver ones have it?
February 6th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Thanks for your question Danni.
All of the Pandora charms have the authenticity stamp on them. The stamp is clearly visible on the outside of the charm. The position of the stamp changes depending upon the particular charm – sometimes its on the bottom of the charm, sometimes on the side or back. Either way, it’s always visible on all of the Pandora charms, including the silver charms.
If you can’t see the 925ss ALE stamp clearly visible, the charm would be a fake Pandora charm, not a real Pandora charm.
We strongly suggest that you only purchase Pandora charms from authorised Pandora retailers.
Gillett’s Jewellers are authorised Pandora retailers.
March 3rd, 2009 at 3:05 am
I get so much pleasure out of my Pandora Bracelet. I now have two and people are always commenting on them. I try to add a charm every couple of months.
July 6th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Hi,
My bracelet has 925 ALE on it but no ’ss’ is this a genuine bracelet?
July 7th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
I was given a pandora necklace and a bracelet, the ‘pandora’ on the clasps is different, they were both from authorised pandora jewellers. The necklace has pandora written in capitals and the bracelet has it in capitals with the pandora crown over the ‘o’.. is this normal? they are both silver and are hallmarked
July 9th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Thanks for your question Jen regarding the stamp on Pandora bracelets.
Authentic Pandora bracelets do not include an ’ss’ in the stamp. The stamp will read 925 ALE.
All Pandora bracelets sold by Gillett’s Jewellers are genuine Pandora bracelets and include the 925 ALE stamp.
July 9th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Thanks for your question Linda regarding the Pandora clasp on Pandora bracelets and Pandora necklaces.
In 2009 Pandora changed the inscription used on the Pandora clasps. As from early 2009, the inscription on authentic Pandora clasps now includes the ‘Pandora crown logo’ above the O in Pandora.
The authentic Pandora clasp bracelets sold by Gillett’s Jewellers include the Pandora crown logo.
September 6th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Are ‘retired’ charms still available? I am looking for an 8 ball charm and a rhino charm – I refuse to pay the exhorbitant prices on EBay but my local jeweller cannot get these particular charms even though she is a registered Pandora dealer. Can you suggest where I might get these charms?
September 23rd, 2009 at 5:51 am
hi i bought a bracelate and was wondering if it was real or fake on the round clasp it has the mark 925 but no ale mark so is this a fake?
September 30th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Hi Sahra,
Regarding your question about getting a discontinued 8 ball Pandora charm:
The Pandora 8 ball charm was discontinued by Pandora in Australia in March 2008. They have completely sold out and are no longer available in stock. As that charm is no longer made by Pandora, Pandora retailers including are not able to get any more of that discontinued charm.
September 30th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Hi Chris,
Regarding your question: “hi i bought a bracelet and was wondering if it was real or fake on the round clasp it has the mark 925 but no ale mark so is this a fake?”
It may depend upon the timing of your purchase. Authentic Pandora bracelets are now made with the ALE stamp on them, so if you purchased the bracelet as a new bracelet recently, the bracelet will not be an authentic Pandora bracelet.
Though if you purchased the bracelet several years ago, it may be genuine, as Pandora only started using the ALE stamp a couple of years ago.
Based on your question it sounds like a recent purchase – so it is likely that your bracelet is not a genuine Pandora.
We strongly suggest that you only buy Pandora jewellery from authorised approved Pandora retailers – for your piece of mind in knowing that the Pandora jewellery will be genuine.
October 15th, 2009 at 2:29 am
Please don’t be too focussed on verifying jewellery by an ALE stamp.
I own a jewellery boutique and I can say that there are many wholesalers selling items with the Pandora logo and ALE stamp. It’s problem for factories to produce counterfeit beads with ALE. Why would it be difficult?
Counterfeit beads stamped ALE are easily available. All a person needs is google.
As the article says, an ALE stamp does not prove that an article is genuine, and no ebay seller is going to be a licensed retailer.
If you want genuine Pandora, don’t even think about ebay!
November 13th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Is the gold in the beads 14k gold plated?
November 13th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Thanks for your question Niall.
The gold Pandora charms are made of solid 14ct yellow gold.
The Pandora charms are not gold plated.
January 7th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
My Pandora bracelet is real but its turning my wrist black. Are they sterling silver plated or what? The girl told me they were proper silver. I’ve only have it a couple of weeks and only worn it 3 times so why does this happen?
January 7th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Are the 14K gold bracelets (and clasps) gold plated?
January 11th, 2010 at 11:33 am
Hi Anthea, Genuine Pandora gold bracelets are made using real 14ct yellow gold. Genuine Pandora bracelets are not gold plated.
January 11th, 2010 at 11:56 am
Hi Sue, Genuine Pandora bracelets are made using sterling silver (except for gold Pandora bracelets which are made using real 14ct gold). Genuine Pandora bracelets are not made with plated silver. It may be possible that your body is reacting with the silver. For example, for some people with a natural high acidity level in their skin, it is possible for their skin to “turn green or black” in the places where the silver comes into contact with the skin. Some people who are taking some types of prescription medication can also have this reaction – as the residues of the medication can comes out of the pores of the skin and react with the silver. Another example is some personal care products such as soaps, shampoos and moisturisers contain synthetic chemicals which can have residues that comes out of the skin and react some metals. This reaction is a reaction with sterling silver. Though this does not mean that there is a fault with the silver used in Pandora bracelets or the manufacture of the silver jewellery.
January 16th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
I am rather disappointed with my Pandora bracelet. it is always dull, I clean it one day the next the silver beads are all dull & the bracelet as well.
What is the best thing to clean it with? Thanks Brenda
January 19th, 2010 at 11:43 am
To clean your Pandora silver or gold jewellery, add a drop of dishwashing liquid to lukewarm water and clean the jewellery with a small, soft toothbrush. The toothbrush is an excellent tool for jewellery with patterns which may otherwise be difficult to clean. If a piece of jewellery is very dirty, leave it in lukewarm water to soak for 10 minutes with a drop of dishwashing liquid. Rinse thoroughly with water.
Please note that pearls should not be submerged into water or come into contact with cleaning agents. Pearls should only be cleaned with a soft brush or a cloth.
Do not expose Pandora jewellery to harsh chemicals nor clean it with toothpaste as they can alter the appearance of your jewellery.
January 20th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
I recently purchased a bracelet and charms from a site called Pandora-DIY.com , that claimed to be authorised. Their merchandise is very well done, and includes the ALE and numbered stamps. Unless I am mistaken, I have been duped, but they have spent a great deal of time and effort in thier con, and I felt others should be warned. The jewelry even arrived in pandora bags!
January 21st, 2010 at 10:30 am
Please be warned that PandoraDIY.com is NOT an authorised Pandora dealer. The jewellery PandoraDIY sell is fake – PandoraDIY is not genuine Pandora.
January 25th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Can you tell me why all the charms on my pandora bracelet have turned black. They are all genuine pandora except two glass beads that I purchased in Venice.
In fact they are the only two things that haven’t turned black.
I have only worn the bracelet three times – it is totally full of charms.
Thanks
Jan
January 26th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Hi,
I have just been given as a present what is meant to be a geniune silver pandora charm bracelet.
It s a 19cm charm bracelet – i have weighed my 18cm bracelet and the difference in weight is one gram so I think it is s. silver
It does have the engraving ALE 925 inside the clasp.
With cleaning it is shining up. So I assume it is SS.
However, the clasp is more oval shaped than my current pandora bracelet that is circular and does not have the crown imprint on top of the “o” in the word pandora.
Were there pandora bracelets made without the crown over the “o” on the clasp?
Thanks.
Mel.
January 27th, 2010 at 8:41 am
Hi Jan, Genuine Pandora bracelets are made using sterling silver (except for gold Pandora bracelets which are made using real 14ct gold). Sterling silver can oxidise, which can make the silver look black. Oxidisation is a natural process for all silver objects (including silver cutlery for example), including silver jewellery. The time frame for oxidisation to occur can vary. Sometimes it can take quite a while. Sometimes it can occur quicker based on the person. For example, for some people with a natural high acidity level in their skin, it is possible for their silver jewellery to oxidise more quickly when the silver comes into contact with their skin. This reaction is a reaction with sterling silver. Though this does not mean that there is a fault with the silver used in Pandora bracelets or the manufacture of the silver jewellery. The good news is that it’s easy to clean a Pandora bracelet to get them looking like new again. You can simply mix a drop or two of dishwashing liquid in some lukewarm warm water, and use an old toothbrush to clean the jewellery. If the oxidisation is still there, you can get a silver jewellery cleaning solution to clean the bracelet. Silver cleaners are usually available at local supermarkets.
January 27th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Hi Mel,
All Pandora bracelets now have the Pandora crown symbol. If the bracelet does not have that symbol, it not a genuine Pandora bracelet. (The crown symbol has been used by Pandora for several years now).
February 9th, 2010 at 8:31 am
Hi,
I have recently been given some glass beads and I am thinking they are fake. They look exactly the same as my genuine bead with one exception….They are not threaded. Are all Pandora beads threaded on the inside?
February 9th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Hi Tracey,
Yes, All Pandora charms are threaded on the inside – except for the Pandora spacers which don’t have threads.