I didn’t know my Rolex was Fake.

She was 31 and looking to get a loan on her new car when she came into the store. We will call her Sam. Sam came into the shop with what looked like a “Date Just” model Rolex, one of my personal favorites. The Rolex felt real, the weight seemed right. The gold was indeed 18K yellow gold and the timeless Rolex face seemed legit. It was a beautiful watch but there was one big problem, my Rolex was fake! We spotted that the Cyclopes lens on the face did not magnify the date. This is a common way to tell a real Rolex from a Fake. Though the watch was indeed made of real gold, we told Sam she could still get some money for the metal. Sam was extremely upset as she explained she had gotten it from her ex-husband who had the watch for over 10 years. Unfortunately, there was not much the store could do for her.

Credit: Nearsay

This is very a very common problem people find with luxury jewelry. Unless you buy from a certified store, you have a high chance of buying a fake. If you ever are in doubt of an item you have purchased or are thinking of buying, bring it into a pawn shop.

Most pawn shops will charge nothing to check the authenticity of an item. They can give you an estimate of how valuable your piece is. The next time you want to buy new luxury items, make sure to fact check those items with a pawn broker or other professional.