HALLMARKS AND
SERIAL NUMBERS
A characteristic of Van Cleef & Arpels (VCA) and other European jewelry houses is that they put their hallmark on all of the jewelry that they make. Van Cleef also stamps an individual serial number on every piece of their jewelry. The hallmark and individual serial number are manufacturer’s acknowledgement of their accountability for the jewelry, and make it easier for them to keep track of a piece’s maintenance.
Several years ago, a Japanese tourist lost a Van Cleef ring while in Paris. Looking everywhere but unable to find the ring, the disappointed tourist gave up and assumed it was lost. However, a thoughtful Parisian discovered the ring on the roadside, and because of the hallmark, the ring found its way back to the main Van Cleef store in Paris. The store was able to determine from the serial number that the ring had been purchased in Japan, and eventually the ring was returned to its rightful owner. There is no doubt that the owner of this ring was lucky, but without the VCA hallmark and serial number this good fortune could not have been possible.
Each individual piece of jewelry has its own unique identity. That in itself is enough to make jewelry dear to us, but the addition of a hallmark and serial number makes it that much more special. The fact that a piece of jewelry can find its way back to its owner several thousand miles away is testimony to the preciousness and power that jewelry possesses. |
