How can I tell if my piece is real Limoges porcelain?

Start at the base. Many originals have the "Limoges France" along with the factory mark and sometimes the decorator's mark. Look for a bright, clean stamping or hand-painted mark under the glaze, very blurry printing, typos, or odd letters can be red flags. Then check for signs of quality, hard, vitreous glaze, sharp casting details, and even draw lines on hand-decorated works. On gilded edges, real gold may show some wear from use, not flaking sheets of metallic paint. Provenance also helps, as pieces bought from known businesses, estates or reputable dealers are easier to trust.