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Counterfeit Hermes? Learn to authenticate your Hermes Scarf
As an eBay seller, prospective buyers sometimes write in and ask, “Is this authentic?” or, “Is this a fake?” or “Is this a copy?”…or….fill in the blank. As tiring as it can be to answer these questions over and over, and despite a header in each listing that reads:
All items are guaranteed authentic and as described or your money back
I need only think back to the counterfeit scarves I’ve personally encountered over the years to understand why buyers ask this question.
Sadly, counterfeit products do exist and clearly they undermine consumer confidence. How do you convince someone on the other end of the world, that the items you sell are authentic? How many positive comments (feedback) from reputable collectors does a seller need before buyers stop asking these questions?
I used to think once we reached 1000 in feedback the authenticity questions would end…then 1500…. then 2000. From discussions with other sellers, I am told these questions never stop. Not after 5000 in positive feedback, and not after 10,000. Bottom line - it doesn’t matter if you’ve sold 50,000 authentic scarves, some buyers are simply leery shopping for designer goods on the net. Period. So if feedback isn’t enough to allay concerns, just how does a seller evoke trust from a buyer in this faceless medium? I’m not sure any of us have this figured out 100%….
A picture may be worth a thousand words but unless the counterfeit is grossly obvious, it can be very hard to authenticate a scarf from just a photograph. Luckily, I haven't seen many fakes over the years, but even one is one too many when you're the buyer! So what do you do when a scarf arrives and something seems not quite right? Below are my observations based on the few countefeits I have seen regarding:
Weight
Color
Color Way
Back of carrè
Size
Care tag
Copyright
Hem
Fabric
Design Title & Artist
Accent on the E
Weight The weight of the counterfeits I've felt were quite different from an authentic Hermès. All but one has been much lighter - most were made of polyester and not silk. A new 35” x 35” Hermès carrè should weigh in around 63 grams or 2.2. ounces.
When in doubt Weigh it.
Color With the advent of photo accurate copies, the colors have drastically improved on counterfeits. The ones I have seen, however, were all a tad off. Simply put - the colors seemed flat and lacked depth. Most Hermès scarves are very colorful and also beautifully finished.
When in doubt Compare the colors on the scarf in question with an authentic Hermès carrè in daylight.
Color way One counterfeit I saw was produced on high quality silk. Everything seemed almost right except for the color way - Hermès did not issue the design in that color! Sadly, there isn’t a website that lists all of the color ways for all of the designs and as Hermès is constantly reinventing the wheel - reissuing old designs in new color ways- it’s hard for all collectors to keep up!
Back of carrè Almost every counterfeit I’ve seen had very little detail on the back. The design on an authentic Hermès carrè can be clearly seen from the back - it is colour saturated.
When in doubt Look closely at the back of the carrè.
Size Most counterfeits I’ve seen are smaller than an authentic Hermès scarf, usually by at least 2 – 3 inches, measuring somewhere in the range of 30” x 30” to 33” x 33”. An authentic new Hermès carrè will be exactly 35” x 35” or 90 x 90 cm. The exception to this will be scarves such as the pocket square, GM shawl, as well as pre owned and vintage scarves. Silk fibers compress with washing so don’t panic if you buy a pre owned or vintage scarf and it measures out at 33.5” x 34” or even a tad smaller.
When in doubt Measure the scarf.
Care tag Most counterfeits come with care tags, though often there is something amiss here too. Over the years Hermès has changed the size and style of care tags a number of times, which makes knowing what style of care tag appeared on what issue, a bit of an art. As "care tags" are a lengthy topic, I have created a separate post for this, but below is some very basic information.
1)Prior to 1987, Hermès care tags came in French, English or both. Some even came with a Department store tag, such as the Bonwit Teller care tag. The tag may or not include washing / care symbols.
2)After 1987, Hermès care tags have both French & English and read as follows:
Fabrique en France / Made in France 100% soie / 100% silk Dry clean only
Washing / care symbols appear
3) After 1998, Hermès care tags have both French & English and read as follows:
Made in France
Soie 100% Silk
Dry clean only
Washing / care symbols appear
When in doubt Study the various care tags shown in listings on eBay. Get to know what a care tag looks like on a vintage carrè vs. a modern carrè. Geoff’s eBay Guide has some great pictures of care tags – I would encourage you to study these as well. If you see any language other than French or English, seek further authentication - immediately!
Copyright Symbol Counterfeits may have a copyright symbol, though some I have seen, do not. Suffice to say a copyright symbol is not an indicator of authenticity. Hermès began to copyright their scarves around 1968. For many years, the placement of the copyright symbol moved all over the design. On one scarf it might be found in the lower center panel next to Hermès-Paris, on another, the symbol may be inches away tucked inside a ribbon or corner. There is even one design with four (or it is five?) copyright symbols on one carrè!
When in doubt Look for a copyright symbol somewhere in the design on all scarves issued after 1967. On a newer issue (2000 and on) the copyright symbol will often (but not always!) appear in the upper left panel next to Hermès-Paris in small print.
Hem Almost all Hermès scarves have hand rolled and hand stitched hems, to the front. There are a few exceptions to this, but generally an authentic scarf will be hand rolled and hand stitched. Many of the counterfeits I’ve seen were very clearly and very pooly machine hemmed/finished.
When in doubt If it looks machine sewn, seek further authentication.
Fabric The fakes I have seen were made of cheap polyester or a very poor, light weight silk (see weight above). Often it was obvious immediately upon handling, that these scarves were not authentic.
When in doubt If it’s not 100% silk, seek further authentication.
Design title & artist As most counterfeits are now photo accurate, if the design title and artist appeared on the genuine, most will appear on the fake. That being said, the artist’s name on one of the counterfeits I saw was almost impossible to read. The artist’s name was so small, I assume when it was photographed & copied, it blurred and the result was an almost “smudged” appearance.
When in doubt If the artist’s name or Hermès-Paris looks blurry, seek further authentication.
Accent on the E Occasionally we see fakes with the word Hermès spelled wrong, such as HERMEES. A number of counterfeits also miss the accent on the second e in Hermès. Hermès is French and the second e almost always* has an accent over it like this:
HERMÈS or if in lower case, Hermès
*There are in fact a few issues that do not have the accent - but these are few and far between. More on this in another post.
When in doubt If there is no accent on the second e, seek further authentication.
In closing I would like to thank the many collectors who over the years have taken the time to share their expertise - and fauxs.
Happy and safe buying to us all!