Bulgari is a beloved and internationally renowned jewelry brand, best recognized for its B.Zero1, Serpenti, and namesake BVLGARI BVLGARI collections.
However, Bulgari’s far-reaching popularity makes it incredibly susceptible to counterfeiters. We break down some basic red flags to signal that a piece of Bulgari jewelry is inauthentic and delve into more collection-specific warning signs for fake Bulgari jewelry.
General Red Flags of a Piece of Fake Bulgari Jewelry
The Material and Weight
Bulgari jewelry is made from weighty precious materials and therefore has a nice amount of heft. If you’re handling a piece of questionable jewelry and it feels oddly lightweight, it’s very likely a fake piece of Bulgari jewelry.
That said, some counterfeiters will go so far as to use genuine materials (like real diamonds or gemstones) in their knock-offs—so, while you may have a real diamond pendant, it’s not an authentic Bulgari piece. This makes it more challenging to immediately distinguish a fake from a real piece and why analyzing the design and craftsmanship is so important to sniffing out an inauthentic piece.
The BVLGARI Hallmark
Bulgari uses the traditional Roman spelling BVLGARI as their logo and their official trademarked stamp. (For more on how to distinguish the two spellings, read our post “Is it Bulgari or Bvlgari?” here.) Certain Bulgari stamps are written in Italian, like “Roma,” or in French, like “Fabrique en Suisse,” as on their watches. Meanwhile, forged pieces of Bulgari jewelry may sloppily stamp the signature as BULGARI or “Made in Italy.”
How to Spot a Fake Bulgari B.Zero1 Ring
The B.Zero1 collection is an signature design for Bulgari. As such, it is one of the more frequently counterfeited collections, too.
One big tip-off for a fake Bulgari B.Zero1 ring can be easily spotted in B.Zero1 rings with multiple bands. The double- and tri-banded B.Zero1 rings are actually built as an elegant spiral and the bands gently compress and expand when you press them together. Meanwhile, counterfeit B.Zero1 rings are oftentimes made as a solid piece of metal, with etched grooves imitating that authentic spiral shape. In turn, the rigid ring won’t contract.
To learn more about how to determine a real versus fake Bulgari B.Zero1 ring, read our full post on the topic here.
How to Spot a Fake Bulgari Serpenti Bracelet
The Bulgari Serpenti collection channels the seductive serpent motif from ancient Greek and Roman mythology. The Serpenti collection is also an engineering marvel; the individual links and scales that make up the Serpenti’s slinking shape fit together perfectly. This gives the Bulgari Serpenti a marvelous balance of form and movement. On a genuine Bulgari Serpenti bracelet, the serpent’s “resting” shape is in the wrapped or coiled position. To slip it on, you simply gently unfurl the bracelet and let it wrap around your wrist.
Fake Serpenti bracelets, however, will be a solid rigid piece or articulate at only a few of the hinging scales. Alternatively, if the Serpenti bracelet in question unwinds completely or lays totally flat when off your wrist, it’s an immediate sign of inauthenticity.
How to Spot a Fake BVLGARI BVLGARI Station Necklace
Bulgari’s BVLGARI BVLGARI collection was inspired by the inscriptions on ancient Roman gold coins. Because the design is so elegantly simple, it makes it an attractive design for counterfeiters to mimic.
On an authentic piece of BVLGARI BVLGARI jewelry, the lettering will be evenly spaced and is separated by two circles. The top BVLGARI stamp is centered across the top and then the bottom BVLGARI stamp runs upside down across the bottom. (There are a handful of newer BVLGARI BVLGARI designs that read BVLGARI ROMA but are still authentic Bulgari designs. Cross-reference the piece you’re eyeing with a known picture of the genuine design to double-check which text it includes.)
The quality of the stamp is important to note. The real BVLGARI BVLGARI stamp is clean with sharp edges whereas a fake version will have a messier stamp with less definition or rounded edges.