Hermes Authentication Summary

Authentication Summary

Hermes Birkin and Kelly Authentication

• Leathers and Exotic Skins
  • Only the finest leathers and exotic skins are used to create each bag. The bags are made by hand with every detail considered in the process.
  • A Birkin bag should have very few if any bulges in the leather. It will sit upright and has a smooth silhouette.
  • All exotic skin Birkins and Kellys include crocodile, alligator, ostrich, lizard. Each is sold with a CITIES to be used for transportation. You will not be able to enter certain countries with an exotic bag without the passport for the Birkin/Kelly.
  • Hermes tri-color bags are rare.
  • Hermes utilizes both texured and smooth leather styles. Find out more here
    • Togo or calf is textured and scratch resistant
    • Ogo
    • Clemence is a softer leather
    • Natural Barenia
    • Chevre is goat
    • Box is smooth and shiny
    • Chamonix
    • swift is a newer leather
    • Rodeo is a newer leather.
    • Vibrato leather is created by stacking layers of goatskin together and then cutting a “cross-section”, appearing striated.
    • Veau Graine Lisse is pressed, textured and currently discontinued
    • Courcheval is pressed, textured and currently discontinued.

• Sizes and Styles
  • Birkins are made in the following sizes: 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45cm
    • The size 45 Birkin is generally used for travel and has longer straps.
    • The Picotin is often called the “baby Birkin” and does not truly fasten closed.
  • The Haut au Courries, High belt, is a Hermes bag that is similar to a Birkin, from the same family, with a body that it is slightly taller and straps that are shorter. The “High belts” or the Haut au Courries handbags are manufactured in sizes 27, 32, 37.
  • Kelly sizes: 20, 25, 28, 32, and 35 cm.
    • Kelly bag are made in two styles.
      • Rigide has exterior (outer) stitching and tends to be more costly.
      • Souple has interior stitching with a distressed softer leather.
    • All leather options are available, along with HW, and shoulder strap.
  • In the year 2006 – 2007 the Lindy and Bombay became popular models that are easy to find.
  • The Shooting Star bags, made by the Hermes craftsmen for their personal use, cannot be serviced by Hermes.

• Hardware
  • Authentic Birkins are created with keys, clochette, buckle, and feet studs.
  • Most bags are created with Gold plated or Palladium finish. The more rare finishes are Brushed Gold, Silver, Brushed Silver, and Ruthenium
    • 24K plated gold
    • Silver palladium
    • Ruthenium or Burnished
    • Guilloche -Diamond cut pattern HW palladium]
  • The Birkin sits on four feet and will stand up on its own without wobbling. The feet will not screw off easily.
  • In general most hardware does not tarnish however tarnishing is possible but not peeling or wearing. For example if the hardware is palladium and gold is showing through, it is fake. If palladium shows wear and turns black, it is possibly authentic.
  • The lock will have the words Hermes engraved on the bottom and the number of the key which corresponds to the lock.
  • The lock will say “Hermes” on the bottom of it and the keys will be numbered to match the number of the lock. The keys will also say Hermes on the opposite side.
  • There are a few vintage Hermes bags with lock and key sets, that will also have Hermes etched on the reverse side.
  • The clochette cover is made of one piece of leather. Not two pieces sewn together.
  • From Purse Blog, picture below: Bags earlier than 2000 don’t have any serial number under the lock. It just has Hermes stamp and the corresponding key number.
  • From purse blog, picture below: Hermes has changed style of lock numbering several times even within the last few years, so no, they are not necessarily consistent. And it is also possible that a lock/clochette may be bought separately if the original is lost so a newer lock can be sold with an older bag.

Stitching, Zipper and Detailing

• The stitching will be slanted and even, in perfect alignment.

• The majority of the time the stitching color will match the color of the bag.

• Hermes stitch lines should be flawless, as every Hermes bag is handmade and hand sewn.

• Sloppy, uneven stitching is an automatic red flag. Hermes bags are not made with a sewing machine, so every stitch is handmade and inspected.

• Newer zippers are marked with large block letters that say HERMES.

• An authentic Hermes zipper pull will remain parallel to the zipper line. If it flops down, or hangs down at a 90 degree angle from the zipper line, it is a fake. The zipper mechanism itself is a high quality design, one that is set up to lock (or hold) the zipper pull in a parallel position. This keeps the zipper pull from dangling loosely and remains stiff and in place.

• Not all Kelly and Birkin zippers start with an “H” at the base of the zipper.

• A Birkin has two inner pockets with zippered and non zippered pocket.

• The leather straps that buckle on the front of the bag should be clean on the edges. (Top strap is fake; bottom strap is real)

• The front center exterior of the bag has a stamp stating “Hermes Paris, Made in Paris”. The words are clear and the accent on the second e.  Most stamps are created in silver and gold. However I have seen a bag with repair papers from Hermes that has a stamp in chocolate brown.

• The wording will line up evenly and is centered. The top HERMES stamp is centered within the bottom MADE IN FRANCE stamp.

• Hermes ALWAYS uses embossed markings on their bags.  They will never use a leather tag or metal nameplate or anything of that sort.

• The logo stamp is consistent. However, I have an Evelyn bag purchased from Hermes in Paris and with wear, the accent mark of the E has faded.

• Each Birkin has a stamp on the interior of the bag on the back flap of the leather. They will have the stamp of the years and the artisans ID stamp.

• Hermes Date Code List
  • No Shape 1945 to 1970
    • – 1945 A
    • – 1946 B
    • – 1947 C
    • – 1948 D
    • – 1949 E
    • – 1950 F
    • – 1951 G
    • – 1952 H
    • – 1953 I
    • – 1954 J
    • – 1955 K
    • – 1956 L
    • – 1957 M
    • – 1958 N
    • – 1959 O
    • – 1960 P
    • – 1961 Q
    • – 1962 R
    • – 1963 S
    • – 1964 T
    • – 1965 U
    • – 1966 V
    • – 1967 W
    • – 1968 X
    • – 1969 Y
    • – 1970 Z
  • Circle- 1971 – 1996
    • – 1971 A
    • – 1972 B
    • – 1973 C
    • – 1974 D
    • – 1975 E
    • – 1976 F
    • – 1977 G
    • – 1978 H
    • – 1979 I
    • – 1980 J
    • – 1981 K
    • – 1982 L
    • – 1983 M
    • – 1984 N
    • – 1985 O
    • – 1986 P
    • – 1987 Q
    • – 1988 R
    • – 1989 S
    • – 1990 T
    • – 1991 U
    • – 1992 V
    • – 1993 W
    • – 1994 X
    • – 1995 Y
    • – 1996 Z
  • Square- 1997 – 2012
    • – 1997 A
    • – 1998 B
    • – 1999 C
    • – 2000 D
    • – 2001 E
    • – 2002 F
    • – 2003 G
    • – 2004 H
    • – 2005 I
    • – 2006 J
    • – 2007 K
    • – 2008 L
    • – 2009 M
    • – 2010 N
    • – 2011 O
    • – 2012 P

• Exotic Skin Stamps
  • Square:  Indicates alligator skins
  • Carrot:  The “^” sign indicates Porosus Crocodile
  • Two dots:  The “. .” sign indicates Niloticus Crocodile (from the Nile river)
  • Dash: The “-“ sign indicates Lizard skin.

 Example of the Porosus Croc stamp

 

• Colors
  • Gold -rich tan
  • Black
  • Blue Jean -sky blue
  • Raisin- Dark purple bright, lighter than violet
  • Violet- Bright purple
  • Cyclamen- Mixture of lavender and pink
  • Fuchsia- Rich, bright pink.
  • Potiron- Less bright orange with brown undertones. It appears dark on Chevre leather and bright on Togo.
  • Classic orange-Classic Hermes color in bright tangerine
  • Olive. Jade. Forest green
  • Chartruese: Green with yellow undertone
  • Vert Anis: Bright Apple green
  • Blue sapphire.
  • Turquoise: Bright green-blue
  • Blue Roi-Bright royal blue. In exotic leathers it has a denim-blue look. Thalassa: Mediterranean Sea Blue same family as Blue Jean, but deeper
  • Ink- blue-black Indigo
  • Dark Navy Blue Blue Jean- bright sky blue, (depending on leather texture[comes off as bright, on Braise.
  • Brique- Brick Red
  • Vermillion- Bright tomato red with orange undertone
  • Rouge Vif- bright cherry or lipstick red, raspberry pink undertone
  • Rouge Hermes- Deep wine red, blue/pink undertone

• Dust Bag and Rain Cover
  • Vintage dustbags are Tan velour.
  • Newer dust bags were orange cotten flannel.
  • Post 2007 they are a beige and light brown Herringbone Toile.
  • The rain cover is soft to the touch and included in every bag.

• Tags, Authenticity Papers, Receipts
  • Hermes bags are note sold with card certificates or paper. Orange authenticity cards and hang tags are NOT provided by Hermes.
  • Original receipts are not a guarantee of authenticity.  Receipts can be counterfeited, just like anything else.  If a seller makes this claim, as for a copy and make sure the receipt has the Hermes store name and number, and the client name/number.  Use this information to call the store and ask them to verify that the bag was originally purchased at there.
  •    Each client has a sales assistant that can validate a bag and model was purchased at their boutique.
  • Hermes bags are NOT made with plastic wrapping or hangtags on them.