Here I show you some pictures with faked gold items.For the collector not easy to detect them. This is a globulo,ten times bigger,you can see all the scratches a machine produces. Antique globuli never have such signs. All items I offer are genuine-carefully examinated.
See here the difference now:balls have different scratches,also note the colour is different.A good sign is also when they are worn down as you can see on this picture.Mostly you can find some traces of desert patina or sinter between each of the globuli.
Clumsy Tool marks:
upper picture on the left you see the traces of the forger`s tool,also this tube is not even soldered together,it looks like an unfinished work.
focus on the left:horrible scratches left by the clumsy forger goldsmith. Be careful with dealers from Bulgaria or Turkey,mostly items are just new. What you cannot see and I cannot show here is the strange "new" gold color. It is more yellowish,mostly antique gold has traces of corrosion,rest of organic material or faded silver or copper.
The rod of this forged earrings:too porous the material,sharp cuts on the edges. More left,a little reddish looking is a huge scratch,where he slipped out with his tool.
Please focus on the middle:you can see some small holes,they look like someone glued cigarettes there!
There are holes,as you NEVER can find them on any antique object.The modern forger goldsmith simply doesn`t know his job!
FORGED ANTIQUE SILVER:
Very often on the market we find forged antique silver items.It is not possible from the pictures to judge,if an item is genuine or not.EVERY serious collector and a lot of museums have fakes.If not,they didn`t detect them yet or mostly collectors are offended to face it. Silver is much more difficult for me,as often chemicals were used to treaten the material. Second problem is not every silver contains the same amalgam.Mostly silver contained copper and other materials,after 2000 years in the soil,those materials were washed out,giving it a porosity.
Here is a faked viking bangle in silver.Unfortunatly some of the "patina" is washed away already.In the middle in the pits you can see some brownish rest of it.This piece was treated by chemicals to give it an old appearance.As many artifacts,this fake originates from Bulgaria.
Clearly visible are the symmetrical lines:just a modern machine produces such scratches. The bangle was covered with dark patina,so those marks were hidden for my eye.
General view:
Of course you cannot see all this,if you buy antiques online.An item might look ok even. I observe that specially at online auction houses are more and more faked items,even bronze increased. A poisy green should be a warning.
Again from Bulgaria,this rings were offered to me by another dubious dealer. When I asked him to analyse the rings and for a return policy,he just refused to awnser my mails. Although the rings appear to be full of sinter,my experience tells me that it was done to hide something.This rings are a nearly perfect work to decieve the experienced collector. Lets focus on the erotic gem on the right: -upper right you see traces of a machine,antique gems never had those. -I never came across any fellatio scene in roman art. -the god is too skinny compared to antique works. -the breasts are not in a roman taste,women are portrayed with small breasts. -the hips are slim,just compare the wider roman hips. -the back is too slim too,romans loved small breasts and wide backs.
Both rings are made from the same forger,the heads are the same work. My conclusion is they cannot be antique,the dirt was added later to make them look older.
Another disappointment was this silver ring,I bought it from a UK dealer. Exactly the same ring in bronze was sold at ebay by a bulgarian dealer.
THE FAKE CRESTED HELMET:
under the microscope you can see the casting burrs.
Very nice and original looking is this Satyr ring. I admit this bulgarian forgers getting better and better. by washing it with rinsing water,the truth comes to light: under the surface is new shining bronze!Just a forgery with even the correct motive on the shield.
FAKE SATYR BRONZE RING
The Satyr plays a double flute walking to the right. Just the impression looks original.This is a high grade forgery,not easy to detect,I got convinced by the light weight of this and the silver ring,making me suspicious.
Faked antique Gold
See here the difference now:balls have different scratches,also note the colour is different.A good sign is also when they are worn down as you can see on this picture.Mostly you can find some traces of desert patina or sinter between each of the globuli.
Clumsy Tool marks:
focus on the left:horrible scratches left by the clumsy forger goldsmith.
The rod of this forged earrings:too porous the material,sharp cuts on the edges.
Please focus on the middle:you can see some small holes,they look like someone glued cigarettes there!
Clearly visible are the symmetrical lines:just a modern machine produces such scratches.
General view:
Another disappointment was this silver ring,I bought it from a UK dealer.
under the microscope you can see the casting burrs.
Very nice and original looking is this Satyr ring.
Roman Bronze Head
Roman Neptun head