Value your jewellery
Pandora: real or fake?
What experienced collectors look at before they buy a Pandora charm, bracelet or ring.
How to check a Pandora piece
Good fakes are hard to tell from genuine pieces, and no single test settles it. The more of the points below match, the surer you can be. They do not replace an examination by a professional.
- Hallmark
- Silver is stamped “S925 ALE”, older pieces “925 ALE”, 14-carat gold “G585 ALE”. Gold-plated pieces on Pandora’s metal blend (Pandora Shine) usually carry “ALE MET” instead of S925, and Pandora Rose pieces can carry other marks such as “ALE R”. Good fakes now copy the stamp, so also compare its position, size and sharpness with a genuine piece. Occasionally a genuine piece has no stamp.
- Compare with the original
- Look the piece up by article number or name in the Pandora database and compare the outline, enamel, number and position of stones, lettering, bail and back. Slight colour differences between two production runs also occur on genuine pieces. A design Pandora never made is not a Pandora piece.
- Workmanship
- Pandora sets stones in standard settings such as prongs, bezels or pavé, and its enamel is even or softly graded. Stones that are too dark or garish, rough edges and a bare back are warning signs.
- Weight
- Genuine pieces feel solid. Fakes are often lighter, or look chunky and oversized.
- Magnet
- Silver and gold are not magnetic: if a piece sticks to a magnet, it is not genuine. Passing the test proves little, because many fakes are made of real silver.
- Seller and photos
- Be careful with sellers offering many as-new pieces from current collections at low prices, and with photos that do not show the piece being sold. Ask for photos of the hallmark, sides and back. Lots of good reviews are no proof of authenticity.
- Price
- An offer far below the usual price is the clearest warning sign, especially for sought-after pieces that are no longer available.
- Packaging
- A box, pouch or receipt proves nothing about the piece inside: they are sold separately and faked too.
Good to know
- Charms from Temu, AliExpress, DHgate and similar platforms are not Pandora pieces, even when they are made of silver.
- Most often faked: the Disney Princess Murano charms, Disney Parks pieces, Club charms, Star Wars and Harry Potter.
- The Disney Princess Murano charms glow teal in the dark. Fakes glow greenish or not at all, and their glitter looks green-tinted.
- Some sellers show a genuine piece in the photo and ship a fake. Photos of the actual piece being sold protect you.
- A 925 silver test proves nothing: many fakes are made of real sterling silver.
- An opinion in a Pandora store is not a formal authentication and is not always consistent.
Find the original in the Pandora database
Our Pandora database shows photos, article numbers and details for thousands of pieces, including country, park and event exclusives. And buying on VaultBase protects you: the seller is paid only once you have received the piece.
Frequently asked questions
The Pandora database is an independent archive project by VaultBase and has no connection to Pandora A/S or the Pandora brand. Pandora is a registered trademark of Pandora A/S. Brand and product names are used only to identify the pieces.