Gemstones & Jewellery present problems in identifying if they are Fake or Real …
It is becoming increasingly important to frequent experienced and expert dealers to ensure that your collection is created from genuine pieces. Technology is being used more and more to provide a flood of fakes and imitations, sometimes called ‘reproductions’, and often circulated on the internet and then into the antique chain via auctions and collectors fairs.
The auction route is often the favourite of the fakers, since auction houses are not covered by the ‘sale of goods act’ and often rely on the vendor’s description. You may see a proliferation of fake watches being openly advertised and sold on the internet on various sites – after all, any vintage watch with a black dial is now a ‘military’ ‘watch! Technically, however, these are not too difficult to identify, but gemstones and jewellery present a different problem, and one that increasingly requires complicated and expensive equipment to identify, and the expertise to use them.
Modern equipment makes it very easy to cast copies of vintage and antique jewellery from the originals, but also provides us with the means to test and identify these pieces.
What is not so easy to identify are the synthetic and manufactured gemstones.
We already have the situation where experts estimate that 50% of modern amethyst on the market is synthetic, almost no natural opal is used in modern volume production jewellery, turquoise is normally filled or reconstituted, and the price of amber has brought out all sorts of fakes and imitations, with probably half of all sold at auction being fake – either modern or vintage.
New legislation is required to protect individuals, along with traders and dealers having an open mind to encompass the changes taking place in the market place. It is no longer good enough to be accepting goods at face value, or ‘that’s what it was sold to me as!’ You have to be aware that the gentle art of faking is out there in every area of antiques and vintage article sales, and at every level of value. Any competent dealer has to try to keep aware of new treatments and manufacturing processes that affect his area
of expertise.
Many dealers see incorrectly described items advertised on the internet almost daily, in on line auctions, and brought into their shops for evaluation. A prime example of this is the frequent attribution of jewellery to Georg Jensen on the internet because of similar hallmarks used by UK manufacturers. We have heard stories that ‘this was used by Jensen for items made in UK for their London shop!’ Rubbish! A simple phone call to the London Assay office with a description of the sponsor’s mark quickly gives the true manufacturer of items like St. Christopher’s, crosses and lockets which have none of the style or design of true Jensen jewellery.
The internet is a marvellous tool, if used correctly. But it is open to all, both expert and forger. There is sometimes limited guarantee, but if you do not know your subject, would you know if the article is fake or not? Also a large number of positive feedback comments can also mean that nobody has thought to question the goods supplied.
A bricks and mortar dealer, on the other hand, is there at a fixed location, to be seen with any queries or anything that you are uncertain about, to be talked to face to face, and to be able to advise you, not somewhere off in cyberspace with limited access, and less accountability, so with any such item, use them as the fantastic resource they rightly have become.