Counterfeit Jewelry Trends: Protecting Luxury Brands
Van Cleef & Arpels and Chaumet are popular and prestigious for their elegant and high-quality designs. Most jewelry enthusiasts treasure the two brands, particularly in the United States, Canada, and the European market. The growing demand for their designs has made both susceptible to imitation. Various deceivers and distributors have therefore started offering distinguishing designs such as customized earrings, custom bamboo earrings, and gold custom earrings. The counterfeit business in Europe and the United States is developing. Imitators are not only focusing on producing simple knockoffs but are also targeting the most classic and iconic models in the market. Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra jewelry is an example. Its design is the four-leaf clover, and in the United States and the European market, as many prefer it. Thousands of imitators handle this design as it is among the classic styles in most designs. In 2023, the total demand for this design in the United States and Europe was 234500, with the imitators selling it at 10-20% relatively lower prices. Several bought the counterfeit as they are almost the same design, making it hard to differentiate the two. In the North American and European market, Chaumet also saw several conversions of its Liens and Bee My Love imitation. Low-quality models have been flowing the market soon after the launch, with most designs readily available than the original ones. According to a survey in the United States and Canada, in 2023, 15000 imitation Chaumet Liens were available. That accounted for 12% of the total market demand. Since the Bee My Love design was also commonly imitated, the fakes sold were 405900.
The phenomena of fake jewelry, such as gold custom earrings is rapidly developing on e-commerce and social networks both in North America and Europe. In 2023, according to GlobalData, sales of fake jewelry on the internet will go over 15 billion USD, and the USA, Canada, and Europe will account for over half of that volume. The most popular platforms in these countries include Amazon, Etsy, and Instagram and even though the students are attracted by the affordable prices, the vast majority of them receive replicas of their purchase, with sales volumes driven by targeted advertising on social networks. Customized earrings and custom bamboo earrings are just two examples of such products. The solution and rationale. In April 2023, to combat this trend and protect the brand image and consumers’ rights, Van Cleef&Arpels and Chaumet took two key steps. First of all, they initiated a massive lawsuit aimed at the owners of more than 80 intellectual property rights in the USA and Europe. Secondly, they invested in the implementation of high-tech solutions to fight against fakes, using blockchain and other anti-counterfeit technologies. The latter ones provide the end customers with information on the jewelry origin but also guarantee that it is an e relevant piece. Finally, the brands have been implementing active education of consumers: from now on, they use social networks and organize offline events to explain to them how to distinguish between a fake and real deal.
Consumers in Europe and America are more into value when it comes to shopping for jewelry. “For a reasonable price – around $150 ”, they get real jewelry from the brand itself and contribute to the brand’s development, maintaining the traditional craftsmanship. While shopping for luxury products, proper awareness, and an extensive network of sales channels ensure their customers. Hence, modern buyers have access to luxury without any replicas and counterfeits. Nowadays, the ability to determine counterfeit jewelry is an important attribute of a luxury consumer in the era of replicas. It ensures that the purchase not only supports any brand but also suggests one’s own understanding and experience of cultivating taste and individuality.
