Luxury bags, watches & jewelry · updated June 26, 2026

How to spot a
fake Cartier Love Bracelet

The Cartier Love bracelet is defined by its functional screws and its hallmark engraving — the two things replicas physically cannot reproduce well.

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The tells

Genuine vs fake Cartier Love Bracelet, point by point

Work through every row. No single line is proof on its own — counterfeiters fix the famous tells first — but the more boxes that fail, the more confident you can be.

What to checkGenuineFake
The screwsThe oval screwheads actually turn with the branded screwdriver and stay captive in the bangle (they don't fully fall out on the modern design). Screw motifs are evenly spaced and aligned.Fake 'screws' are decorative/fixed, misaligned, or fall out; spacing between motifs is uneven.
WeightSolid 18k gold gives real, dense heft (a size 17 sits around ~30g+ depending on width).Noticeably light — hollow or plated base metal.
Hallmark engraving'Cartier', '750'/'Au750', size, serial and poinçon are shallow, crisp and evenly spaced.Deep, uneven, misspelled, or missing metal mark; font that's slightly off.
Gold color & finishConsistent, warm 18k tone with a smooth polished surface; no discoloration at edges.Brassy or pinkish off-tone, plating wear at high spots, or a too-yellow flash.
Acid/metal testTests as solid 18k (750) gold throughout.Plated: a jeweler's test reveals base metal under a thin gold layer.

Step by step

The 5-minute Cartier Love Bracelet check

The screws
The oval screwheads actually turn with the branded screwdriver and stay captive in the bangle (they don't fully fall out on the modern design). Screw motifs are evenly spaced and aligned.
Weight
Solid 18k gold gives real, dense heft (a size 17 sits around ~30g+ depending on width).
Hallmark engraving
'Cartier', '750'/'Au750', size, serial and poinçon are shallow, crisp and evenly spaced.
Gold color & finish
Consistent, warm 18k tone with a smooth polished surface; no discoloration at edges.
Acid/metal test
Tests as solid 18k (750) gold throughout.

Serial / date code

The Cartier Love Bracelet engraved hallmark + serial

Engraved hallmark + serial

Format: A genuine Love bracelet is engraved on the inside with 'Cartier', the metal mark ('750' or 'Au750' for 18k gold / 'PT950' for platinum), the size number, a serial number, and a small hallmark/poinçon. The lettering is shallow, precise and evenly spaced.

Where to find it: Inside surface of the bangle, opposite the screw motifs.

How to verify (honest): Cartier does not run a public serial checker; only a Cartier boutique can confirm a piece (and authenticate via the serial in their records). The strongest physical tells are weight and the working screws — but for a four-figure item, in-boutique verification or a marketplace authentication service is worth it.

Full Cartier Love Bracelet serial-number & verification guide →

Where to buy authentic

Buy a real Cartier Love Bracelet with recourse

The safest move after learning the tells is to buy where a return or a third-party authentication has your back.

eBay's Authenticity Guarantee has qualifying items independently inspected by experts before they ship to you — a free third-party check on top of the tells above.

FAQ

Cartier Love Bracelet authentication FAQ

How do I authenticate a Cartier Love bracelet?
Check that the screws actually turn and stay captive, weigh it (solid 18k is heavy), and read the inside engraving — 'Cartier', '750'/'Au750', size, serial and hallmark, all crisp and even. For final confirmation, a Cartier boutique can verify the serial.
Does Cartier have an online serial number check?
No. Cartier has no public serial lookup. Only a Cartier boutique can confirm a serial against their records. Be wary of any third-party 'Cartier serial checker' site.
Should Cartier Love screws come all the way out?
On the modern Love design the screws are captive — they turn but stay attached to the bangle. Screws that fall out completely or are purely decorative point to a fake.

Keep checking

More luxury bags, watches & jewelry

Educational guidance only. RealCheck is independent and not affiliated with Cartier Love Bracelet. These tells help you assess an item but are not a guarantee — for high-value purchases use a professional authenticator or a marketplace authentication service.