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Published October 2026 · Contact
Why the Marks on Persol Sunglasses Are Easy to Copy
Persol is an Italian eyewear brand founded in Turin in 1917, and its name comes from the phrase per il sole, meaning for the sun. It is best known for the Supreme arrow, a metal arrow set into the hinge, and for the flexible temples of the folding models. The brand is part of the Luxottica group, the same owner as Ray-Ban, so its sunglasses are made, stamped and boxed in a way that buyers often compare with Ray-Ban.
That is the problem with a guide like this. In our records, the fake-graded Persol pairs we reviewed carry stamps, a script logo, an arrow hinge and a polarized lens sticker that look just like the ones on genuine pairs. We compared a genuine and a fake-graded pair of the same model, and the printed temple text was identical. So nothing below is a pass mark. It is a description of what genuine pairs in our records show, so you know what you are comparing against.
Worth knowing
This guide is built from genuine Persol sunglasses in our authentication records. The fake-graded pairs we reviewed copy the temple text, logos and hardware closely enough that we could not find a repeatable fake-only tell, and we found no reliable published spec for Persol's stamp layout. The formats below are what genuine pairs in our records show, not the brand's own official system, and where we are unsure what a code means, we say so. If you are comparing other Luxottica frames, our [Ray-Ban guide](/blog/authenticate-ray-ban-sunglasses-guide) covers that brand.
The Temple Stamp: Model, Colour and Size
On the genuine acetate pairs we reviewed, one temple carries a line of small white print on the inside. On a 2803-S in tortoise it reads "2803-S 24/57 58 16 140 3P", with a small square between the 58 and the 16.
Reading it left to right, the first group is the model number, with an S for a sun frame. The next looks like a colour code. Then come the lens width, the bridge width and the temple length in millimetres, the usual way eyewear is sized, so 58 16 140 means a 58 mm lens, a 16 mm bridge and a 140 mm temple. We have not confirmed what the final "3P" means, and the same pattern shows "2P" on a metal pair we reviewed, so we do not read anything into it. Retailers list the colour and size for each model, and the stamp should agree with the listing for that frame. A stamp that agrees is reassuring, not proof, because fakes copy it.
"Hand Made in Italy" on the Other Temple
On the other temple of the same pair, the genuine pairs we reviewed show a second line: the italic Persol script, then "Hand Made in Italy", a size letter, a CE mark and "POLARIZED".
A newer genuine pair in our records, a 3286-S, shows the same line with "UK CA" stacked beside the CE mark, which looks like the UK conformity mark added after 2021.
So the wording is not frozen: a pair with UK CA and a pair without it can both be genuine. We found no source tying either layout to a production year, so do not use the marks to date a pair. Note, too, that genuine pairs also say a plain "MADE IN ITALY" in capitals, as on the metal pair below. "Made in Italy" on its own is not a tell in either direction.
Worth knowing
A retailer blog we found says the serial is engraved on the inner left temple and should match the box. None of the genuine pairs we reviewed showed a serial on that temple, so we do not repeat that claim. What genuine pairs in our records do show is a model and colour code, which every pair of that model and colour shares.
The Script Logo on the Temple Tip
The end of each genuine acetate temple carries the Persol name in a looping script, set in white or silver.
On the genuine pairs we reviewed, the script is crisp and evenly filled, and it sits fully on the flat of the tip. Look at the edge of the letters in hand: a logo that smears or lifts is worth a second look. But fake-graded pairs carry the same script, so a clean logo only means the pair has not failed this check.
The Arrow Hinge and Flex Bars
The Supreme arrow is a metal arrow that joins the front to the temple. On the genuine 2803-S we reviewed, it is a polished silver arrow set flush in the acetate, with two thin metal bars crossing the temple a short way behind it.
Retail descriptions credit these to Persol's Meflecto flex system, which lets the temple give a little. Check that the arrow lies flat with no gap against the frame, and that the temple opens smoothly. Fake-graded pairs in our records also carry an arrow hinge and the flex bars, so the shape alone clears nothing.
A Metal-Frame Pair: Model Name and Lens Etch
Not every Persol is acetate. A genuine metal pair in our records, the Morris, shows a different layout. The model name leads the stamp, followed by the model code, a colour code, the size and a "2P" at the end.
The same pair carries a faint etch in the corner of a lens, the Persol script followed by a "P".
The etch is visible at an angle, not head-on. On a genuine pair it is a fine mark in the glass, not ink that wipes off. The lens text is easy to copy too, so use it as one more consistency check against the temple.
Vintage Pairs Look Different
Older genuine pairs use a different stamp layout again. On an older oval 2520 S in our records, the Persol script comes first on one temple, then the model, the size and a colour code, "24/33". The other temple reads "140 PERSOL made in Italy CE" in plain type.
We did not find a source that dates this layout, and we cannot tell you which years used it. The point is that an older pair that does not match a modern stamp is not a warning sign by itself, because the brand's layout has changed over time. Judge an older pair against pairs of the same model and era, not against a new one.
The Case and Cloth
Genuine Persol pairs in our records come with a rigid case with the script logo on the lid and a brown microfibre cloth with the script.
Cases and cloths travel separately from frames, and they are easy to buy on their own. Packaging helps a listing look credible but says nothing about the frame inside.
What a Matching Mark Does and Does Not Prove
A temple stamp, a script logo, an arrow hinge and a lens etch can each be copied, and in our records they were, on pairs that failed authentication. A matching mark proves nothing on its own: matching every detail above does not prove a pair is genuine, and a missing or different detail does not prove it is fake, because genuine layouts differ between models and years. Read this guide as a map of what to look for, and compare a pair against a verified genuine pair of the same model. For another premium eyewear brand with its own marks, see our Tom Ford eyewear guide.
When to Get a Professional Opinion
If you are buying Persol sunglasses at a price that matters, or a listing shows only one temple, get a second opinion before you pay. LuxeDetect authenticates eyewear from $15 with a 24-hour turnaround, a verdict from a specialist and a Certificate of Authenticity. Send clear photos of the front, both temples with every line of print, both temple tips, the hinges, the nose pads, the lens corners and the case.
A code that checks out doesn't prove the item is real. Counterfeiters copy genuine codes.
Our authenticators check the temple markings, lens etching and hinges of your Persol against verified references, from $15. You get a verdict within 24 hours, and a Certificate of Authenticity if the item passes.
Authenticate My Persol →FAQ
How can I tell if my Persol sunglasses are real?
No single detail proves it. Genuine pairs in our records show a model, colour and size stamp on one temple, a "Hand Made in Italy" or "MADE IN ITALY" line with a CE mark on the other, a script logo on the temple tip and an arrow hinge. Check that these agree with each other and with the listing for that model, then get the pair checked if the purchase matters, because fakes copy the marks.
Where is the serial number on Persol sunglasses?
We did not find one. A retailer blog says the serial is engraved on the inner left temple, but none of the genuine pairs we reviewed showed one there. The code on the temple, such as 2803-S 24/57, names the model and colour and is shared by every pair of that kind.
What does the number on the Persol temple mean?
The first group is the model number, and an S marks a sun frame. The next group looks like a colour code, then come the lens width, bridge width and temple length in millimetres, so 58 16 140 is a 58 mm lens, 16 mm bridge and 140 mm temple. We have not confirmed what the final 2P or 3P means.
Are Persol sunglasses made in Italy?
The genuine pairs in our records are marked Hand Made in Italy or Made in Italy, and the brand sells them as made in Italy. A counterfeit can copy the wording, so it does not prove a pair is genuine, and we have not confirmed that every Persol line is made only in Italy.
Does genuine Persol have UK CA on the temple?
Some do. A newer genuine pair in our records shows UK CA beside the CE mark, and older pairs show CE alone. We found no source dating either layout, so do not use it to age a pair or to call one fake.
Can a fake Persol have a perfect stamp?
Yes. In our records, a fake-graded pair of the same model carried the same temple text as a genuine one, along with the script logo, the arrow hinge and a polarized lens. A perfect stamp is a baseline, not a pass.
Is the Persol arrow hinge proof of a real pair?
No. The arrow hinge is a Persol signature, but fake-graded pairs in our records carry one too. Check the fit and finish in hand, and use it alongside the other marks.
Where can I get my Persol sunglasses authenticated?
LuxeDetect authenticates Persol sunglasses from photos. Start an order and include clear photos of the front, both temples with every line of print, the temple tips, the hinges, the nose pads and the lens corners.
