Ebay expands authentication service to luxury jewelry

By

Robin Driver

Published
Dec 4, 2018

Just in time for the holidays, e-commerce marketplace Ebay announced on Tuesday that it is now offering its authentication service for diamond and gemstone jewelry sold on the platform.
 

The extension of Ebay Authenticate means that the site is currently hosting over 45,000 pieces of luxury jewelry which have been verified by third-party industry experts. Authenticated items, which include rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces, as well as loose diamonds and gemstones, feature an “Authenticity Verified” label.
 
Prices of the items covered by the newly extended service range from $250 to over $20,000, while categories include fine, vintage and fashion jewelry. Pieces are sourced from a select group of Ebay’s top-rated sellers.

Ebay’s authentication service was first launched for luxury handbags in 2017, before being expanded to cover luxury watches earlier this year.
 
“Ebay is home to the largest selection of luxury goods, which includes tens of thousands of jewelry items, fine watches, and rare and designer handbags,” said senior director of Ebay Authenticate James Hendy in a release. “Expanding the Ebay Authenticate service provides customers an added layer of trust and confidence as they shop for fine jewelry this holiday and beyond.”
 
50,000 jewelry items are sold per day on Ebay, with one diamond ring purchased every minute on the platform. The most popular gemstone on the site is diamond, followed by sapphire, aquamarine, amethyst and onyx. Tanzanite, citrine, ruby, topaz and emerald round out the top ten.

The marketplace’s expansion of its authentication service comes as the second-hand luxury market continues to boom, with specialist consignment sites such as The RealReal and ThredUp seeing strong growth.