A Status Symbol. Cartier's first eyewear has it's origins dating back to 1887, forty years after the companies inception, when a custom pair of opera glasses were made for the French princess. Although the company has come a long way from the diamond-encrusted lorgnettes there has no doubt been a level of repute when it comes to the luxury frames. Ranging from Hollywood portraying the luxurious style of a professional jeweler to the real yet violent ties to Detroit has to 'White Buffs', there seems to be a constant degree of success tied to these coveted pieces. Whether you want your new specs to make a statement that's modest or one that is big, you'll definitely want them to make a statement that's authentic.
I Can See Clearly Now
The rain may not be gone, and obstacles may still be in your way, but you'll have Cartier frames that are legit to get you through it.
Cartier is very specific in the way they produce their frames. Each model although somewhat different share a commonality in the hallmarks they are given during production. Let's break down some of those classic monikers and the clear giveaways that prove something is a fake when they are missing.
First and foremost, you'll probably want to know what model of glasses you are looking at. This can be difficult with vintage pieces that aren't as popular as they used to be, lack paperwork, or were possibly just limited in production. The best way to figure out what kind of Cartier sunglasses you're looking at (through?) is definitely to find the size markers on the framing. Not only will the size of your glasses help you understand how it will fit compared to other models, but it often gives you a path straight to the model's name. This is because the size of the lenses as they relate to the shape of the bridge tend to dictate the difference of each model. Obviously if you're holding two sunglasses with different shapes, you can safely assume they are different models and therefore have different names.
There are three size marks (numbers) you are looking for and they are often in the same places. First check the inside bridge of the nose. This can be the top or the bottom bridge and you'll find it on the thicker of the two. Not only will you see other indicators to authenticity (more on that later) but you will usually find two numbers, each positioned on opposing sides of a material stamp. These numbers represent the width of each of the lenses (left) and the width of the bridge between each of the lenses (right), which is most likely where you found this information.
It's not always that you'll find the sizing in this exact spot because models do vary. On rare occasions the bridge and lens sizes can be found on the temple ends. Acetate models on the other hand very commonly place the information on the inside of the lens frame like seen above.
Tip: Rimless glasses will only have one size for reference, and it will be the lower of the two sizes we just covered. Why? Well because they don't have frames around the lenses; so how can they have a set size? As you can see in this image the bridge is what holds the lenses together.
Usually it's the frames that keep the lenses in place. Putting one size on rimless models allows people to change out their lenses if they need to. If a person chooses a different size then the numbers stamped on the bridge might become inaccurate. Cartier makes the smart move to not include a second size mark and instead only show the size that won't change - the width of the center piece that holds the lenses together.
Moving on, the third thing you want to verify after the bridge and lenses are the size of the temples. This is going to be essential to knowing how glasses will match up to the width of your face. You wan't them to fit after all. It's almost always possible and likely to find the temple-to-temple width on the actual temples themselves, and often on both sides. You may find the info accompanied by copyright marks, production locations, and even more hallmarks that will help authenticate your piece, so we'll cover that soon.
Now that you have your sizes verified it's time to find out what model you're holding (assuming that you don't already know of course). The best way to find your model name is just to punch "Cartier" into Google followed by the the sizes in order - "lenses", then "bridge", then "temple". Here's an example - "Cartier 59 12 140". You may see results of different models that share the same specifications, but it's much more accurate than putting in something broad like the frame material or generic shape of the lenses, such as "aviator". If you're starting to see similar models being sold on different websites, it's probably just a few clicks away until you land on what multiple platforms are calling it. If you don't see your model showing up, it may be pretty rare and more difficult to find.
Tip: The best thing to do is cross reference an image on a website that looks reputable, such as Sammy & Nino's. Sites like this have experience in listing Cartier wear and will be much more reliable with identifying your model than a listing on ebay.
The Prize in Your Serial
Every single pair of Cartier sunglasses is produced with a serial number. Every... single... pair. If you can't find a reference number 6 digits or longer on the model, it isn't real. This is the absolute best piece of information in differentiating your pair of glasses from another. No two pairs have the same number and it's something the company does to ensure it is more difficult to knock off their great designs. You can find the serial number in a few different places. Cartier likes to place this information inconspicuously under the bridge of the nose, or sometimes on the underside of one of the frame edges that wrap from the lenses to the temples. These are your go-to areas on gold and platinum metal frames. As for the acetate models, you'll probably find the numbers easier to track down as they show up more often on the temples with the rest of the piece's information.
The Three "C"s
You're in the home stretch and there's a golden rule when making sure a pair of sunglasses is the real deal. Look for the what I call The Three "C"s - Copyright, Country, and of course Cartier!
Copyright can be both easy and difficult when it comes to vintage frames. Like most products you come across in this world a copyright is accompanied or portrayed by the famous lower case "c" wrapped in a circle. Very rarely will this stamp be missing on any pair of Cartier glasses. But what happens when it is absent? Is the pair a fake? It's actually very possible the pair is fake because counterfeiters forget little details like this, so the next thing you want to do is look for the material stamp instead. Remember the symbol you saw earlier between the bridge and lens sizes? That's a material hallmark. It indicates the gold plating that was used to create the frames and when magnified shows a very specific logo to indicate authenticity (seen below).
This is probably one of the most difficult features to replicate so it should be one of your favorite marks to find. Even on acetate frames you can sometimes find this mark if the model also use gold designs on them like the image on the right. Finding either of these marks will solidify copyright that's authentic to Cartier production.
Country of origin is pretty synonymous with fashion brands. If you get a bag from Louis Vuitton, you want one that says it's made in France, and not one that says it's made in China. The same goes for Cartier eyewear. The designer frames almost entirely come from France unless they are handmade in which they usually come from Italy instead.
Always make sure one of the temples says "Made in France". Often times this will be followed by "CE". If the glasses don't have the country they came from, or it isn't one of the two just mentioned, you've got a problem on your hands.
Cartier, Cartier!
Everything comes down to the branding of the product right? Why else would so many people try to duplicate a product with so many safeguards if it wasn't for the company's reputation? Ironically enough, seeing the word Cartier on your sunglasses does very little in proving they are real. That being said, the company signature is very specific. The way the capital "C" is shaped and how the "r" connects to the "t" is meticulously done. Seeing where and how the company name is placed still does a lot for the authentication process.
Cartier loves putting it's full name all over it's occhiali. You will always find it on the inside of the temples and also on the bridge of the nose as seen earlier (at least on gold framed models). There's probably not many places left to put it then right? Wrong. The temple ends are a famous spot for the logo name to appear too. On both ends of most gold, wood, and many acetate frames, you will find small oval plating fixed on top of the material. These mini plaques are on the outside of the temples so it can show off to others when placed above your ears.
Associated with the full name of Cartier is the unique logo the company has created since inception. This design is called "C Decor" and you will see this featured not only doubled up as a logo but also as a design of some physical frames themselves. The logo is used on every nose pad Cartier makes, on every original lens that's sold at retail, and even as the shapes of some temple hinges. The company loves their decor logo and use it as much as possible to ensure authenticity in their production.
In Conclusion...
Many things go into making sure individuals and other company's can't rip off Cartier's famous eyewear. With a bit of practice you can help cut down on the circulation of counterfeits and feel confident in purchasing your very own pair of authentic glasses, even if they are second hand or pre-owned like great models on our website.
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