The earliest pieces of Chanel jewelry were unmarked. Pieces from the 1930s, ’40s and early ’50s rarely come up for sale on the secondary market so take care when purchasing pieces purported to be unsigned Chanel. Below is a sampling of some of the marks used by the House of Chanel photographed on genuine Chanel pieces, along with the dates when those marks were generally used. Reproductions and fakes of Chanel jewelry abound, so take care when identifying and dating this type of jewelry. Limited quantities of Chanel jewelry were marked during the late 1950s and ’60s. These are usually marked with a round plate bearing the Chanel name with three stars or sometimes CHANEL stamped directly on the piece. By and large, though, Chanel costume jewelry made during this period was not marked and must be identified by the design, components (such as the way Gripoix glass is incorporated), and the construction. Since this type of mark is similar to that used sparingly in the 1950s, looking at the overall style of the piece helps to determine the date. Note: Hang tags can be added to contemporary Chanel reproductions and fakes as they have been done with Miriam Haskell costume jewelry, so take care when identifying pieces based solely on the mark. Look at the overall quality and construction in comparison to genuine Chanel pieces when determining authenticity. Some authentic Chanel pieces made c. 2005 are marked Made in Italy (rather than France). Pamela Y. Wiggins is the author of Warman’s Costume Jewelry.
