Where can I get a schlumberger x band copy (if that's possible)?

[lovedogs]

I would just really like to see a verified counterfeit (i.e. real materials, fake hallmarks), if they exist, to compare.
I think the design is straightforward and ubiquitous and enduring enough for there to be fakes out there, but if there are then I would expect I'm not the first to come across one and there would be examples out there. This is the first item where I've looked for counterfeit examples and not seen a single thread or conversation to date.

re: 'would I be happy?' Hmmm... I don't have the answer to that. If the materials, quality and build are identical and it passes a jeweler's inspection, then what's the difference ultimately, except for the Tiffany markup?

Like, if I got a certified 2CT F color triple X solitaire mounted in a plain six prong ring, I wouldn't care in the slightest if it were really from Tiffany or not (provided the price made sense). On the other hand, I do have Tacori rings and have paid the brand name markup, mostly because their craftsmanship is so unique and intricate that 1) it's very easily identifiable as Tacori and 2) I don't think the design can be counterfeited easily anyway.



My honest feeling is that this item may be a high quality fake, i.e. real materials but not real Tiffany (despite my original post). This seller is from Poshmark (which will authenticate, how rigorously?), and while they have a long track record, they do have a few of this ring (different stones, different sizes etc), all with identical hallmarks. Given the variety of different hallmarks for this ring over the years, I don't feel it's likely that a second hand dealer would have only one type, without variation. And the price is very low, given the condition. But who knows... maybe this version of the hallmark is more common/widespread?

I probably will purchase, and take it to get authenticated/appraised, and overall rather confident I will be happy with it, but I don't think I will feel 100% it came from T&Co.

I thought Postmark guarantees that they don't sell counterfeit / replicas? If you bought it and took it to an appraiser/etc and it wasn't real you should be entitled to a full refund.

 

[maddydaddy]

Yes, they do guarantee and supposedly they authenticate themselves too, but I have seen lots of fake stuff on there.

I think it's good enough a guarantee to get your money back, but doing to legwork to make sure it's real is really up to the buyer.

 

[maddydaddy]

So my question is asked and answered. Yep, there's fakes out there. I agree that the pictures I was sent and posted looked pretty good. The problem is that it's not the ring I received. Who's got a good eye out there who can tell me what's wrong with this picture? Took me maybe 20 seconds.

 

[Weecam]

Looks like a tanzanite and a sapphire....

 

[OdetteOdile]

hmmm... can't really quite tell, but in the original photo were the prongs in white gold/platinum whereas in this photo are the prongs in yellow gold? It is hard for me to tell what color they are.

 

[the_mother_thing]

Crooked ‘X’?

 

[bludiva]

hmmm... can't really quite tell, but in the original photo were the prongs in white gold/platinum whereas in this photo are the prongs in yellow gold? It is hard for me to tell what color they are.

+1

 

[distracts]

So my question is asked and answered. Yep, there's fakes out there. I agree that the pictures I was sent and posted looked pretty good. The problem is that it's not the ring I received. Who's got a good eye out there who can tell me what's wrong with this picture? Took me maybe 20 seconds.

The Xs all cross over the same way instead of alternating... yikes

 

[maddydaddy]

The Xs all cross over the same way instead of alternating... yikes

Ding ding ding!!! Winner right here!

I don't know why I am making it sound like a game, when in actuality I am pretty effing furious. Mostly about the colossal waste of the time and the ridiculous presumption that i wouldn't notice the difference!!!

 

[yssie]

Ding ding ding!!! Winner right here!

I don't know why I am making it sound like a game, when in actuality I am pretty effing furious. Mostly about the colossal waste of the time and the ridiculous presumption that i wouldn't notice the difference!!!

Wow. That’s crazy.
Please tell us who the vendor is - I’ve got a “don’t buy” list that needs an addendum!

 

[Pimberly]

Wow! Can you tell if the stones real?

I just did a google search and found this site. If you scroll through the pictures, the X’s all go the same way like the one you bought:

https://www.ekx.su/good-reviews-tif...teen-stone-fake-ring-for-womens-grp00053.html

 

[maddydaddy]

I brought it in to get looked at (more out of curiosity than anything) and it is made of real materials (gold, diamond, sapphires. The material holding the stones is unverified -- white gold rather than platinum if I had to guess).

If it had been designed correctly, I think it's unlikely I'd have noticed the difference and my original statement that 'I'd likely be happy with it but never certain it was genuine' would have held true. It ticks me off to no end that they pulled a bait and switch on me, since #1 the presumption I wouldn't notice is very irritating and #2 it robbed me of the opportunity to do any due diligence and walk away earlier than this.

I'll share more details happily once the dust has settled from this whole thing.

 

[maddydaddy]

Hi all, so this is done.

It was a ridiculous conversation with the seller claiming that the ring had been resized which is why it was suddenly designed wrong. I found that quite interesting since the pictures they showed me were on the sizing stick already, i.e. if the claim was true, the pictures they showed me would have been AFTER the ring had been supposedly modified. So their preposterous implausible explanation was made even more impossible.

Then they stated that the picture was taken BEFORE the ring was modified, and the ring was padded on the sizing stick. For what purpose exactly..?? Anyway, it was irritating but also somewhat amusing to watch the mental gymnastics at work.

I filed a Paypal claim and was given the option to propose a partial refund, which I did, putting in an exorbitant amount with the presumption that the seller would never accept it, but they did. The end result is I paid $500 for this ring, which is actually worth it from a materials perspective. As is, my wife is well aware of the Tiffany 800% markup (or ~2000% as this case ended up) and doesn't care if it's "real" because it IS real gold, diamonds, sapphires.

Here's the seller:

Gold_and_'s Closet

Gold_and_ is using Poshmark to sell items from their closet. Poshmark is a fun and simple way to buy and sell fashion. Shop from millions of people—and start selling too!

poshmark.com

They sell lots of stuff and I assume all of it is fake. I would have said it'd be a good study of counterfeits, except that the pictures are probably of the genuine thing and what you'll actually receive will be a fake. So there's not even any value in that.

But anyway, I'm glad to be able to share with you all that there's confirmed counterfeits of this ring and one way to tell quite quickly. On Ebay, you can see there's a few of them out there.

Be careful and best wishes!

 

[Pinot Noir]

Hi all,
thank you all for the wonderful thread, I am registering here specially to share my experience. I must admit I got caught into exactly the same trap. I am attaching the photo of my replica ring.
I suppose now it is obvious what is wrong with it. I am sure this is real platinum and real diamonds but definitely not authentic Tiffany. The seller from eBay still saying this is authentic and tells me to go and verify in Tiffany store. My guess I will look very stupid when I walk into the shop with such an obvious replica

 

[distracts]

My advice on purchasing one of these secondhand is to use a consignment shop like TheRealReal or Fashionphile where the store takes the pictures of the item, so you know for sure that the item photographed is what you are getting, and that they accept returns with no fuss. Fashionphile's authentication process is better than TRR's, and this kind of band seems to get listed fairly often. It's not as cheap as plenty of other places, and of course it's not a foolproof method, but it's a lot more likely to be legit.

Have you filed with ebay? I would bypass trying to solve it directly with the seller and go straight to ebay.

 

[kenny]

So, after being on this forum I've come to realize that it is possible to get an exact replica of items and not pay the brand name price!

Isn't knowingly violating copyrights illegal and immoral?

 

[motownmama]

Not what ANYBODY asked; but while we’re talking Schlumberger....
I was given one by DH in October for anniversary. In store I had tried on in past at RHR and could feel it between fingers; but when DH surprised me with one I started wearing as WB on my left with ER - no discomfort! Maybe bc my finger really narrows at the bottom??? Can’t explain it. I wear it 24/7 - even able to shred my guitar with it on. Again - sorry to digress!!!!

 

[MollyMalone]

Hi all,
thank you all for the wonderful thread, I am registering here specially to share my experience. I must admit I got caught into exactly the same trap. I am attaching the photo of my replica ring.
I suppose now it is obvious what is wrong with it. I am sure this is real platinum and real diamonds but definitely not authentic Tiffany. The seller from eBay still saying this is authentic and tells me to go and verify in Tiffany store. My guess I will look very stupid when I walk into the shop with such an obvious replica

 

[MollyMalone]

My apologies! This is what I thought got included in my previous post:

I bet the seller knows that Tiffany actually does not do verification. Even if you were able to persuade someone at the nearest Tiffany store to tell you what they think, they certainly won't reduce their opinion to writing -- which is the kind of written documentation that I expect the eBay seller will demand as a condition of refunding your money. So I wouldn't bother going into the Tiffany store.

Have you been in contact with eBay about this?

 

[Pinot Noir]

Hi @MollyMalone
I know none of the brands actually does verification. This is what we typically do here: come into the store and ask to clean/repair, whatever... Then of course get refused because of counterfeit item.
I am trying to settle down currently with the seller, they promised full refund and pay return postage. So I am not going to open a case as of now, just will ship it back tomorrow and see how it goes. There is also always PayPal to file a dispute. I am not too concerned about opinion in writing since the ring obviously does not even match the original design!
Will keep everyone posted on how it goes. I tested it - it is real platinum and diamonds, feels very solid and heavy - just so obviously a counterfeit. Sigh.

 

[Pinot Noir]

The problems with this whole transaction were:
1) the seller got something like 4.6k+ positive reviews, only 3 negatives and they were quite minor, like "seller cancelled auction result because highest bid was too low". Fair enough.
2) the seller obviously got experience with Tiffany items as I checked items they were selling and past reviews. Great. If there was a problem someone would already figured it out I thought.
3) the prince for the ring was attractive but fair for authentic pre-owned item, so I did not just jump into buying a cheapie.
So I am quite upset it turned out like this and I am definitely at a loss because I had to pay import tax for the whole price of the ring which is non refundable.

And just to add a bit to the whole discussion - I tried wearing it a bit and and loved it. Probably the size was right as well but it was not prickly or uncomfortable. It touches other fingers of course and leaves some marks but still feels great. This is definitely a solid and heavy ring but I felt no discomfort.

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Ugh.. sorry Pinot Noir.. what a pain for you. Especially since you had to pay duty for the ring.
I thank you for posting this thread.. I fancy myself an amateur Tiffany "expert" and didn't know about the X's on this ring slanting opposite ways. Guess I'm not such an expert. I do like you always take a new second hand piece to Tiffany or Cartier for sizing or polishing to get a second pair of eyes on it. I have 2 of these Schlumberger rings that I bought second hand and checked both. The X's are correct so I'm glad. I truly hope you have an easy resolution to your problem.

 

[Pinot Noir]

Thank you, @Rubies-R-Me I really appreciate it. I also will continue looking for another one which is authentic. It is always good to check second hand items even after third party verification. Websites like therealreal are also not perfect in recognising counterfeits.
I do know some brands very well like van cleef and arpels and sometimes I can tell a replica on ebay right from the preview picture or upon a closer look at the photos. Always considered myself very careful and got screwed like this.
Thank you for posting your rings - they are so beautiful! Do you wear them together?

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Hi again Pinot Noir! That is aweome that you are well versed in VCA. That is one brand that I never feel comfortable buying second hand because I absolutely can't tell real from fake. The markings truly look the same to me. I feel that way about Cartier LOVE and Juste un Clou bracelets as well. The fakes looks so real and the reals look so fake. I do buy plenty of second hand signed pieces on Ebay but only ones that I consider rarely ever copied.
Thanks for the ring compliments. I did buy them to wear stacked together but rarely wear them. I think it was the allure of the chase to find a second matching one that piqued my interest. No that I have them they sit in a box!
I have listed them on Ebay a few times in the past year to sell and will relist them again soon.
I want to wait for a seller's special where the final value fee is discounted.
Here is a pic of them stacked on my finger.

 

[Pinot Noir]

Hi @Rubies-R-Me,
This is where I thought I had to ask - is it comfortable to wear them both on 1 finger?? One ring is ok, but two - I can't imagine!
I've sold myself quite a few VCA items on eBay and not on eBay, I've seen many authentic and replicas and surprisingly VCA is the easiest for me to spot! Especially the most popular Alhambra series. Sometimes I can see a replica already from preview, sometimes I have to look at the details. There are few items currently available for sale on eBay which are obviously counterfeit and I am going to report the seller shortly because I am sure they know what they are doing.
For example, this one is now for sale:

Look at the engraving: VCA would never write VCAAu750 without gaps. Fonts would be more accurate as well.
Look at this:

The motif on the left clearly has problems with the beads in the corners of the motif. VCA always has perfect "balls" in the corners.
I can go on and on

I also have problems identifying Cartier replicas: Love and JUC series, just because they are so easy to replicate actually. Not very complex design, simple engravings. But it is still possible: Love bracelets you have to look at the screws - Cartier will be perfectly flat and aligned, replicas will have problems. For JUC I only rely on engravings and papers. Not sure better not buy... Because of VCA's intricate design there are many parameters where you look at but Cartier is way too simple

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Good morning Pinot Noir!
I have been asked that a lot about wearing the two Schlumberger rings stacked.. it's certainly a full fingerful of ring but not terribly uncomfortable. Feels like most wide rings.
I am VERY impressed at your VCA knowledge. I have two bracelets and I'm going to compare the font right now. I bought them directly from VCA but in Europe on vacation so I got a very slight discount. Really ended up being mostly the tax.
Soooo many fakes on Ebay and the ones that are probably real sell close to their list price.
I agree 100% about Cartier LOVE and JUC bracelets.. the markings on the fakes are so good that I will only buy in a store.

 

[Pinot Noir]

Hi all,
Some updates about my story: I shipped the ring back and got refund for the shipping and for the ring itself. However, I am still at a loss because I had to pay currency conversion fee and taxes. I am asked the seller to reimburse these costs and hopefully they will do that.
Just wanted to ask: would you report the seller to Tiffany's? Obviously I have photo and videos and screenshots of the listing with the replica ring. Would you report to eBay? Negative feedback?
The seller told me they would take the ring to Tiffany's to "see what went wrong..." But I really, really doubt this. This can't be authentic Tiffany's ring and they know it.

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Hello!
I'm glad you got the refund from the seller that included the return shipping too.
I would definitely ask for what you paid in currency conversion fees and taxes as well.
Let the seller have a chance to make it right.
I would hold off on negative feedback.
If I have a problem on Ebay and the seller apologizes and makes it totally right with a full refund of everything I paid then I would not leave any feedback at all. Certainly no positive but no negative either. It might have been an honest mistake and if they do everything you ask so you don't lose any money (just your time which is certainly annoying) then I would let it be after that as far as feedback.
The only way I would leave negative feedback is if the seller refused to take the item back or just never bothered to answer.
I also wouldn't report this to Tiffany.. not sure they have a database on things like this and not sure what they would even do.
That's just my two cents.

 

[Pinot Noir]

@Rubies-R-Me the interesting thing is that the seller tells me that they took the ring to Tiffany's and they've been told that it looks authentic.
I can't believe it. Am I crazy or something? Even a simple google does not show any of these rings with this sort of pattern! How come they dare to say that this is authentic? How come anyone in Tiffany's would ever say this is authentic?! Or am I missing out something??

 

[SimoneDi]

@Pinot Noir it would have been in your favor if you took the ring to a third party for authentication and have an assessment on hand stating that it’s a counterfeit.

I personally doubt that the seller will reimburse you taxes and currency conversion. I would 100% give them a negative feedback to alert future buyers and file a separate claim with eBay or Paypal. Best of luck.