Where are Ray-Bans made? Are Gaffos.com Ray-Bans Authentic?

Ray-Ban has always been a classic American brand, founded in 1937. Timeless style, authenticity and freedom of expression are the core values of Ray-Ban, a leader in sun and prescription eyewear for generations. Since the introduction of the iconic Aviator model created for the aviators of the United States Army, Ray-Ban has been at the forefront of cultural change, becoming a symbol of self-expression, worn by celebrities and public figures all around the world. Ray-Ban glasses have not been manufactured in the USA since 1999, when Bausch & Lomb sold Ray-Ban to Italian eyewear giant, Luxottica the world's largest eyewear company (OWNS Ray-Ban along with many other well-known brands). If you happen to come across a USA-made pair of Ray-Bans from Bausch & Lomb, you either got an old pair of vintage frames or a fake.

When Luxottica initially started manufacturing Ray-Bans in 1999, they were all made in Italy. But throughout the years, Luxottica has grown exponentially and have started opening factories outside their native country. Since 1997 Luxottica has had a presence in China through the Dongguan plant in Guangdong province. In 2006, Luxottica increased local manufacturing capacity through the construction of an entirely new facility; in 2010, it began producing plastic sun lenses to be paired with frames that are manufactured in the same location. Today, Luxottica has chosen to use China as a manufacturing location along with Italy. Ray-Bans are still made in Italy, but many authentic Ray-Bans are also made in China. Luxottica guarantees that the quality of the products from their Chinese factories is in no way compromised. The glasses are made from the same materials with the same machines, just in a different location. The list of Ray-Ban models that are currently being made in China includes RB3364, RB3379, RB3267, RB3386, RB8301, RB3484, RB3119, RB3364, RB3387, RB8310, RB4125F, RB2168F and RB3016 among other models. Most of the remaining models are still made in Italy. 

Ray−Ban has become one of the world’s most iconic brands with Gaffos.com being an authorized dealer. 

Product design, development and manufacturing take place in Luxottica’s six production facilities in Italy, three factories in China, one in Brazil and one facility in the United States devoted to sports and performance eyewear. Luxottica also has a small plant in India which serves the local market. 

In 2016, Luxottica’s manufacturing facilities located in Italy, China, the United States, Brazil and India produced a combined total of approximately 93 million prescription frames and sunglasses.

You can also find this information on Luxottica.com under FAQs: http://www.luxottica.com/en/faq

Now that we have established where Luxottica manufactures Ray-Ban glasses, how can a consumer tell if the Ray-Bans they purchased are real or fake? We at Gaffos.com have compiled a quick guide to help you determine authenticity. 

How to tell if Ray-Bans are authentic:

• Luxottica sets rules about how much Ray-Bans can be discounted. You may get a discontinued model cheaper, but if it's a current model, you won’t find it for more than around 30% off retail from anywhere reputable.
• Ray-Ban cases vary by model, size and even color but all Ray-Ban protective carrying cases have a round seal with the Ray-Ban signature logo in the middle and "100% UV protection" at the top and "Sunglasses by Luxottica" at the bottom.
• Genuine Ray-Ban sunglass packaging comes with a branded cleaning cloth and an information booklet (excludes eyeglasses and Ray-Ban Juniors).