ho hasn’t heard of Pandora? Any jeweler or jewelry lover worth their salt is familiar with this luxury brand. It is one of the most popular and largest brands in the industry, known mostly for its unique and high-quality charms.
Being a luxury brand, they ensure that the materials they use are genuine and sustainable, while still being appealing and fashionable. This quality, however, comes at a price some people may not be able to afford.
As such, it should be no surprise that along with the authentic pieces, there are many counterfeit Pandora products. That is why the brand takes the measure of marking their products to make it easier for their customers to identify them.
Among these identifiers is the marking writer 925 ALE or S925 ALE, which you’ll spot on some of the Pandora items. What does this mark mean? In this article we will expound more on what this mark means, and whether or not you should buy Pandora items with it.
What Does Ale Mean On Pandora Jewelry?
As a standard and to ensure quality and authenticity, every piece of jewelry is required to have a mark indicating the company or brand responsible for making the item. This makes the manufacturers accountable for the products they release into the market. Pandora is no exception to this rule.
You have probably spotted the ALE marking on all of Pandora’s jewelry. That’s because the ALE is the sponsorship mark, or the mark representing Pandora as the brand responsible for the products sold under their name.
The ALE is initials, that stand for Algot Enevoldsen. He is the father of the man responsible for originally founding Pandora. His initials have been used for years, as a commemoration to him. So, if you see this mark on a Pandora product, it should be an indication that the product is authentic. Although counterfeits can include it as well.
What Does S925 Mean On Pandora Jewelry?
Other than the sponsorship mark, jewelry is also required to have a hallmark. This mark indicates what the jewelry is made of. Different materials have different markings. In this case, the S925 you see on some of Pandora’s jewelry is meant to indicate that the piece is made of silver.
The ‘S’ stands for Silver, indicating that, that is the metal used. ‘925’ on the other hand specifies the type of silver. The number indicates that the amount of silver in the metal used is 92.5%. This is usually the stamp of sterling silver.
It is considered the hypoallergenic form of silver and is the grade mostly used in making jewelry. Once again, just because a Pandora piece comes with this marking, doesn’t mean it is true. Some counterfeits have the mark added to make the item more believable.
What Does 925 Ale Mean On Pandora?
So, what does it mean when you see 925 ALE on a Pandora piece? Does this mean that the piece is fake because it lacks the ‘S’ at the beginning? Not necessarily. While this may be an error made by a fake distributor pushing counterfeit Pandora pieces. It is also possible that the piece could be authentic.
Before June 2011, the marking on Pandora’s silver pieces did not contain the ‘S’ at the beginning. The marking instead read 925ALE. After June 2011, the brand began adding the ‘S’ to its hallmark, as per the new jewelry standards introduced.
Therefore, if a Pandora product was released before June 2011, is still authentic even with the 925 ALE mark.
The Pros And Cons Of 925 Ale Pandora Jewelry
The following are some of the advantages and disadvantages of having the 925ALE mark on Pandora Jewelry:
Pros.
- It is easy to identify authentic Pandora Jewelry
- It indicates the type of silver used in the jewelry.
- It lends credibility to the quality of silver used.
Cons.
- It may be an error made by counterfeit Pandora jewelry.
- It is difficult to distinguish old Pandora pieces from fake ones.
Pandora S925 Ale Price Range
S925 ALE Pandora pieces are authentic jewelry. That means they have been carefully crafted with the best grade silver and other high-quality material to match the brand’s standard of quality. Although silver is a relatively cheaper precious metal compared to gold, some other materials may be included in the design that will make the piece expensive.
For example, the design may incorporate precious valuable gems like diamonds. That cost has to be accounted for in the final price of the product.
Other factors to consider are the design of the piece, the more intricate or complicated the design is, the more expensive will be. The type of jewelry or accessory your get will also determine the price. Considering all these factors, you’ll find Pandora S925ALE pieces going for as low as $25 to as high as $230 or more.
Should You Buy 925 Ale Pandora Jewelry?
All things considered, is it wise to buy 925ALE Pandora jewelry? Let’s not forget that this used to be the authentication mark for older Pandora pieces before the change. So, you may be buying an authentic piece.
Still, we advise you to be vigilant. Do your research and find out whether the piece is an old one. If the piece is a recent one, then it probably means that it is fake.
Conclusion
Now that you understand the meaning and difference between S925ALE and 925ALE, you should be able to easily distinguish between the real and fake Pandora pieces.
Be careful, however, when buying 925ALE Pandora jewelry.
You can check the Pandora catalog to see if the piece is authentic.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.