Are second-hand CHANEL bags necessarily plated with 24K gold? Are gold stamps guaranteed? Unraveling the mystery of Chanel's gold content!

CHANEL, which has been increasing its prices every year, increased its prices again last month. When the CHANEL Classic Flap rose to over HK$80,000, it not only affected the prices of CHANEL handbags in the second-hand and vintage markets, but also made more and more CHANEL fans wonder: "Compared to the light gold accessories of modern models, are vintage CHANEL with gold plating more worth buying and investing in?" Did the previous CHANEL really use real gold for gold plating? Can handbag fans verify whether CHANEL used 18K gold plating or 24K gold plating? This time, Lovintage sorted out the myths about CHANEL gold plating in the market and came up with a Q&A to answer them.

Q: Are the metal accessories of CHANEL handbags real gold?

The metal used in CHANEL handbags is not real gold, but gold-plated. The metal accessories such as the bag chain, double C buckle, double C logo, etc. of the handbags launched by CHANEL in 2008 or before are all plated with 18-24K gold. It should be noted that gold plating is not pure gold, but a thin layer of gold plated on the metal surface (such as brass).

Q: When did CHANEL stop using gold plating?

CHANEL stopped using gold plating in the "08/09 Cruise Collection" in late 2008, and the metal accessories of its handbags were replaced with metals that look like gold (light gold, rose gold, matte gold, etc.).

Q: How do you know if the metal of a CHANEL handbag is gold-plated?

Most of the hardware of the double C buckle (Coco Mark) of CHANEL second-hand handbags will have a small engraving (Hallmark) representing the purity of gold and silver. When the hardware is engraved with Hallmark, it means that the 24K pure gold content of the hardware exceeds 0.5g.

Q: Is CHANEL with Hallmark more valuable?

The Hallmark of vintage CHANEL handbags represents the 24K gold plating of its handbag accessories, which contains more than 0.5g of gold. Compared with the metal materials used by modern CHANEL metals, vintage CHANEL using 24K gold plating has a higher "gold content".

Q: How to tell whether the gold plating on vintage CHANEL is 18K or 24K?

The exact composition of the gold plating used in each vintage CHANEL handbag may be different, and the specific details of the gold plating process and composition are proprietary to CHANEL. CHANEL officials have not disclosed the exact karat gold content used in the electroplating. However, through the Hallmark on the handbag, it can be confirmed that the gold content of the gold plating is high, ranging from 18K to 24K gold.

Q: Do vintage CHANEL items have to have Hallmark?

Not necessarily. Generally speaking, most of the hardware of CHANEL items launched between 1986 and early 2008 may be engraved with the Hallmark. However, some styles, such as the silver double C buckle and some metal frosted coatings, do not have the Hallmark logo. Therefore, the authenticity of a vintage CHANEL cannot be determined solely by whether it is engraved with the Hallmark.

The metal hardware of the Wild stitch series is made of frosted coating.

Q: Does the Hallmark have to be engraved on the upper left?

Not necessarily. The Hallmark will be engraved in different positions depending on the year of production. There are at least a dozen Hallmark patterns, among which the more popular ones are "W" and "|||".

Q: Is Hallmark exclusive to CHANEL?

No. Hallmark comes from institutions that specialize in authenticating precious metals. Goldsmiths' Hall, founded between 1835 and 1838, was the first third-party institution to conduct purity assessments for gold and silver and to authenticate precious metals.

Q: Hallmark’s original intention was to protect consumers?

Hallmarking gold jewelry is the oldest form of consumer protection in Europe, dating back to France and England in the 1200s. With the rise of the craft industry in these two major markets in medieval Europe, state-appointed appraisers authenticated precious metals, making Hallmark a prerequisite for the public sale of gold products.

Q: What is the relationship between Hallmark and London Gold?

Goldsmiths' Hall is the headquarters of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in the UK, with a history dating back more than 700 years. In 1327, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths received its first royal charter, which confirmed the company's authority in the industry. Therefore, the English term for "metal purity mark" is "Hallmark" instead of "gold purity mark". Its original meaning is "Goldsmiths' Hall's mark", which shows the authority of Goldsmiths' Hall.

Q: Why is the London Gold Exchange important?

The London Goldsmiths is responsible for managing the UK's Hallmark, ensuring the quality and authenticity of jewelry and gold and silver products. Its company's Hallmark includes the shield-shaped "Goldsmiths' Shield" and other identification marks.

Q: It is rumored that the Hallmark on CHANEL handbags comes from the London Goldsmiths’ Institute?

There is no official certification at present. Since the main service scope of the London Gold Institute is to test solid precious metals, not gold plating, its Hallmark usually appears on solid precious metals, not on gold plating.

Q: Does Hallmark on CHANEL bags deny popularity?

European countries have their own Hallmark systems and marks, and CHANEL's Hallmark also represents the official certification of the gold content of its metal accessories.

Lovintage Easter Egg

Since I want to verify whether the rumored CHANEL Hallmark comes from the London Gold Institute, I emailed the London Gold Institute and received a reply. The London Gold Institute did not directly deny it, but said: "The company will apply the complete traditional Hallmark, which includes five elements. If they marked an item in the 1990s, consumers should expect to see all five elements of the Hallmark, including the panther head mark of the authentication agency."