Top 10 Tips On How To Spot Fake Antiques

While Fake News may be a recent phenomenon, fake antiques sadly are not. In 2016 when Waterford Cathedral radiocarbon dated their much-prized small piece of the ‘True Cross’ (the cross reputedly used by Jesus) they found it actually dated to the 11^th Century, a period when fake relics were rife!

Authenticity is a central pillar of the antiques and collectables trade and is the reason why so many people choose to buy from trusted sources. While putting our trust in others is laudable, even the specialists sometimes get it wrong also, so it is worth doing our own due diligence. A fake of course is an item intentionally created to deceive, but there are also many other more modern items around which can be confused for antique or vintage unless you know better. For example modern concrete garden planters can weather quickly outdoors to look like antique carved stone examples.

Below we have collected together 10 of the most important things you should think about when assessing the authenticity of any antique or collectable. Every collectable field has its own very specific tell-tale traits for spotting a fake, but the tips given here should serve as useful general guidance. In truth we have all fallen foul of unwittingly buying fakes from time to time, so it is best to approach the subject with interest and diligence, but not to beat ourselves up too much when we do make a mistake.