How to Identify an Authentic Hermès Constance Bag
Hermès is a brand that is synonymous with luxury and exclusivity, and one of its most iconic handbags is the Hermès Constance bag, with its sleek, minimalist design and high-quality craftsmanship, it's no wonder that this handbag has become a coveted item in the luxury resale market. However, with this high demand comes the risk of counterfeits, making it essential for professional luxury resellers to be able to identify the authenticity of a Hermès Constance bag.
In this article, we will explore the unique features and key elements that set apart an authentic Constance from a counterfeit, and provide you with a comprehensive guide to help you identify and verify the authenticity of this coveted luxury item.
Nevertheless, it is crucial to acknowledge that in recent times, counterfeiters have produced replicas so identical to genuine handbags that it can be challenging to distinguish them with only a physical examination. Therefore, we will share another crucial aspect to verify the authenticity of a Hermès Constance bag, ensuring you are 100% certain of its originality.
Materials
When it comes to authenticating an Hermès Constance handbag, examining the materials used in the bag's construction is a crucial step. In particular, the leather of the handbag is an essential element to consider. To truly confirm that the leather used in the Constance is authentic, it is important to use all your senses; touch, smell, and sight are all key factors.
The texture and general appearance of the Hermès Constance bag can vary depending on the type of leather it is made of. For example, the vast majority of Hermès handbags are crafted from calfskin, which features a grainy texture. However, some types of leather may be smooth to the touch. On the other hand, when a Constance is made of exotic materials, such as crocodile, alligator, lizard, or ostrich skin, you should always look for the texture of scales or pores and a rich, smooth finish.
In addition to examining the texture of the leather, the scent also plays an important role in determining the authenticity of the Constance bag. The smell of natural leather or skin is very distinctive and often varies depending on the age of the bag. A genuine Constance handbag should exude a natural leather scent, while a strong synthetic smell is a clear sign of a bad counterfeit.
Another factor to consider when authenticating a Constance bag is its weight. When lifting a genuine Constance, the bag should feel slightly heavy due to the thickness of the leather and the hardware. And although the Constance is considered a small bag, it should always be heavier than common bags made of plastic.
Despite all these factors, it is important to note that counterfeiters are becoming increasingly skilled at replicating the look and feel of authentic Hermès bags. In some cases, they may use real leather from high-quality sources, making it even more difficult to differentiate between a genuine Hermès Constance and a counterfeit one.
Structure
One key element to authenticate a Hermès Constance bag is to examine its general structure; this Hermès classic bag is compact and small, with a flap that closes with an “H” metal clasp. The Constance also features a strap long enough to use the bag hanging from the shoulder or crossbody.
All Hermès Constance bags are created with a construction method that requires the stitches to be shown in the exterior of the bag, to offer a better structure and resistance to the material. That’s why it is very important to check the stitches, all of them should be made in a diagonal way, they should be symmetrical and detailed, and they shouldn’t look inconsistent or as if they were glued on the material. Hermès' saddle-stitching method is what sets it apart from many other fashion houses and common bags, so it is a crucial aspect to denote authenticity.
The gussets of the Constance bag, which are the expandable sides that allow for a slim, rigid silhouette, are one of the elements that make it stand out from other bags. Not only do they contribute to the bag's unique shape, but they also ensure durability in the long term.
What's interesting is that each of the sizes of the Constance bag, except for the 14cm Micro size, offers the option of a single gusset or a double gusset. This means that the interior of the bag can include one single compartment or two separate compartments, depending on the size and preference of the buyer.
The side and bottom of the Constance bag should also be examined since the sections should not look perfectly straight, but curved. Some counterfeiters create fake Constance bags with straight sections, and although it may seem like they should be straight, it is necessary for these bottom structures to be curved to work properly with the bag.
Strap
The strap of the Constance bag is a looped leather strap that runs inside two square-shaped rings at the top of the bag. These rings must be made with the same hardware as the rest of the bag, which means that if Constance has gold-plated hardware, the rings must be plated in gold.
The Constance’s strap is versatile and adaptable, and should be able to provide two lengths to use the handbag; the first one is done taking two sections of the strap to use the Constance bag hanging from the shoulder, the arm or the hands, and the second length provides a longer single strap for the Constance to be worn crossbody or hanging from the shoulder with a longer distance.
The seams throughout the strap should be exactly like the seams in the bag, which means that they must be diagonal, detailed, and symmetrical. The Constance bag strap is a long strap of leather that is joined together by three specific stitches in the exact center; these stitches should look equal and be exactly three.
Sizes
A good element to authenticate a Constance bag is to check its size. Hermès sizes are measured by the number of centimeters at the bottom of each bag, so if a bag is size 18, it means its bottom measures exactly 18 centimeters. The Hermès Constance bag comes in four specific sizes: Micro Constance (14 cm), Mini Constance (18 cm), Constance (24 cm), and Constance Elan (25 cm).
Hardware
All Hermès hardware is created with top-quality materials, and the hardware applied to Constance handbags is no different. The hardware is made of brass plated in precious metals, such as gold, palladium, ruthenium, and permabrass, so it is very important to check this detail when examining the authenticity of a Constance bag. Also, you must take into account that all the hardware in the bag should be made of the same material, so it cannot have mixed platings.
Hermès hardware should have a special shine to it, and it proves to be very resistant, so it shouldn’t be easy to peel or show any signs of tarnishing and deterioration. If the hardware of the Constance bag starts to peel and you see a different color under the peeling, it is most likely a bad counterfeit.
The most important piece of hardware in a Constance bag is its iconic “H” clasp, whose sides must be attached to the body of the bag, and the middle section should be attached to the closing flap. The “H” clasp is commonly made of gold, palladium, ruthenium, and permabrass, but it can also be made of enamel as in a lacquered hardware version, and it can even feature exotic skins, such as lizard, crocodile, and even ostrich.
An authentic Constance bag should have a thin plexi plate fastened to the bottom of the middle section of the “H” clasp; this piece serves the purpose of closing the bag when coming in contact with the side sections of the “H” clasp. The flexi plate is fastened with the use of two flathead screws, both of them should be equal and must be as aligned as possible. They must be plated in the same material as the rest of the hardware of the bag.
The correct examination of the Constance bag “H” clasp is an indispensable way to check the authenticity of the bag since these small details can’t be easily replicated by counterfeiters.
Metal engraving
The Hermès brand is characterized by its attention to detail, and one of the most important aspects of its original products is the careful placement of metal engravings throughout the handbags’ hardware. In the case of the Constance, there are some metal engravings that must be checked to make sure that the bag is authentic.
The most important engraving can be found in the middle section of the “H” Clasp, just at the bottom, a metal engraving with the word “Hermès” can be seen, it must be noted that this engraving should include the French accent mark in the second “e”.
Another important engraving is a small square logo that is featured next to the “Hermès” word only in Constance bags with hardware plated in gold, it doesn’t matter if the bag has rose, yellow, or white gold, the symbol must be present. Needless to say, if the symbol is present in any other material plated hardware, it is a fake.
The zipper in the interior pocket of the Constance should also display an engraving with the word: “Hermès”, as in any other location of the bag, the engraving must be sharp and clean.
Date stamps
The Hermès date stamps are very crucial pieces of information that can help you identify the authenticity of any of its handbags since they provide the year of creation of the bag and a specific code that is unique to every piece.
In the case of the Constance, the date stamps are located in the upper right corner of the interior of the bag, next to the top seams. However, in vintage Constance bags released prior to 2015, the date stamp was located on the back of the strap, so if you’re examining a Constance bag whose year of creation is prior to 2015, you need to check the strap.
To identify the date stamps, there are certain letters and symbols that must be taken into account to know the year of creation of a handbag, and there are also additional serial numbers that identify the craftsman and the workshop in which they worked to create said handbag. Learn more about Hermès date stamps.
Interior of the bag
The interior of a Constance bag must be lined with high-quality lambskin and it must be of the same color as the rest of the bag. This material must be soft and exude a genuine leather smell.
The compartments and pockets of the Constance bag can vary greatly depending on the size of the bag and also on the preference of the buyer, as there are handbags with different options of pockets and sections. All the Constance bags excluding the micro Constance (14cm) size, can come with one compartment or one section that divides the interior into two compartments.
The Constance pockets can also vary, in most cases, there is a zippered pocket on the back panel of the bag, the zipper must align horizontally with the zipper teeth, and the small piece of leather attached to the zipper must be of the same material and color as the rest of the bag. The zipper and zipper teeth should also be plated in the same type of hardware as the rest of the bag. The material that surrounds the zipper must be soft and not rough as seen in some counterfeits.
Most of the Constance bags also feature an open pocket in the front interior panel of the bag, this pocket can sometimes be divided into a small and larger pocket. In some other cases, the pocket in the back panel of the Constance bag can be open and lack a zipper.
The Constance 1-24 is another variation that includes only one or two interior compartments, with a zippered pocket at the back panel (it can sometimes have an open pocket too) and an open pocket at the front panel, which features a bigger space and a smaller space. This version of the Constance comes with a mirror with a leather tab that can perfectly fit this front pocket. The Constance 1-24 also features an exterior back pocket to store tickets or small flat objects.
Prints
One important factor to consider when verifying the authenticity of a Hermès handbag is the print. In the case of the Constance bag, you can locate the print under the closing flap, just a few millimeters below the top seams. It should display "Hermès - Paris - Made in France" in capital letters, with a consistent and clear font, and the second "e" in "Hermès" should have the French accent mark. It must be noted that sometimes counterfeiters make the print way too big, so it is always advisable to look at the size of the print.
Another crucial detail to check is whether the print color matches the color of the hardware, as it should always be of the same color as the hardware. For example, if the hardware is plated in gold, the print should be golden.
Aside from the conventional “Hermès - Paris - Made in France" print, the handbags that contain any trace of exotic skins, either if they are made of exotic skins or they have exotic skin hardware, must feature a small symbol printed next to the Hermès print, this symbol indicates the type of leather and can serve as an authentication method. If any of these symbols are present in a Constance bag that doesn’t contain exotic skin, then it is a fake.
Get to know more about Hermès special symbols.
Packaging
Verifying the authenticity of a Hermès Constance bag goes beyond physical inspection and also involves examining its packaging. Although not every Constance sold in the luxury resale market comes with a box and dust bag, it is crucial to look out for these elements to avoid purchasing a counterfeit or stolen handbag.
The classic orange Hermès box must have a small logo printed on the lid, and the box should be able to store the Constance bag comfortably, which means it should be ideal for the size of the handbag. The dust bag should be made of a wide and dense material, with a white or light beige color, and featuring the Hermès logo with a double circle design and a detailed illustration of a horse, a cart, and a standing man. The cord that closes the dust bag should be light brown and the space where the cord goes is precisely 2 centimeters wide.
To make sure that the box is authentic, you can also use the UV light test, shining a UV flashlight on the surface of the box, you should be able to see several Hermès logos in invisible ink covering the box. The opacity of the logos may vary from box to box.
Invoice
Perhaps the most important element when authenticating a Hermès Constance bag is the invoice, which provides essential details about the bag, such as its color, size, hardware, and leather type, and allows for comparison of the date stamp inside the bag.
Although many Constance bags sold on resale markets lack invoices, it is crucial to obtain the invoice, payment receipt, and live proof of bank transaction to establish the true authenticity of the bag. These documents can confirm the authenticity of a Constance bag that has been physically inspected, providing crucial information for safe and trustworthy purchases.
Authenticating a Hermès Constance bag requires a thorough examination of various elements, such as leather, stitching, hardware, and stamping. The presence of the correct elements can help confirm the authenticity of a bag, while any discrepancies should raise a red flag.
It's important for professional luxury resellers to be familiar with these elements of authenticity to ensure the legitimacy of their products and to provide their clients with the highest quality luxury items.
By following the guidelines outlined in this guide, luxury resellers can identify an authentic Hermès Constance bag and maintain the integrity of the luxury items resale market. However, the invoice, payment receipt, and bank movement are the definitive proof that can confirm the true authenticity of a Constance handbag along with the correct physical inspection.
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