Mourning and Sentimental Jewellery: Real, Fake or Somewhere In-between?

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There’s been a lot of discussion about the limits of what a fake or a forgery is over at the Art of Mourning Facebook Group and I thought I’d open up the floor to a little discussion (feel free to join in over at the group) and add a bit of commentary.

I’ve mentioned before that I began Art of Mourning as a tool to put down as much knowledge as possible before my loved ones eventually require a mourning ring made up of myself and to dispel as much fiction surrounding a piece for the new collector or the seller who isn’t completely sure of what they have in their hands.

Once upon a time, an antique dealer once said to me that the best sellers in the world are the ones that listen to the collector and absorb the knowledge, as opposed to being seemingly knowledgeable over a large area of collectables. The collector has the passion, the collector is the boffin who spends their life in pursuit of a singular item.

However, it’s no secret that there are items out there which are reproduced for the singular purpose of monetary gain and to obfuscate the collector. These exist and are sold under the pretence of being something they are not, something which does not represent the past but is clearly being sold as a piece from the past.

For those who have been collecting antiques or are very knowledgeable about them, there’s an understanding that these items have always existed and there’s not much one can do apart from learning more about the subject and being deceived. Then, there is the new collector or person who may be fooled by the piece, thinking it too good to be true or a genuine item. Here is where there is a grey area surrounding whether or not to directly engage with them and identify that the piece is an obvious forgery, or to turn the other cheek.

I’ve written the articles below early on to try and identify what constitutes as a fake or forgery and I hope you can find the time to breeze through them. There are many other areas of forgery, usually found on eBay, that are new productions, but there is more difficultly in identifying repair work and revival periods.

> Spotting Fakes and Forgeries: Contemporary Pieces

> Spotting Fakes and Forgeries: Plastic, Odd Materials and Repairs

> Spotting Fakes and Forgeries: Hallmarks

> Spotting Fakes and Forgeries: Gold Content

> Spotting Fakes and Forgeries: How to Spot the Forgery

> Spotting Fakes and Forgeries Conflicting Styles

> Spotting Fakes and Forgeries: Mourning and Sentimental Art Revivals / Part 6

> Spotting Fakes and Forgeries: Mourning and Sentimental Art Revivals / Part 5

> Spotting Fakes and Forgeries: Mourning and Sentimental Art Revivals / Part 4

> Spotting Fakes and Forgeries: Mourning and Sentimental Art Revivals / Part 3

> Spotting Fakes and Forgeries: Mourning and Sentimental Art Revivals / Part 2

> Spotting Fakes and Forgeries: Mourning and Sentimental Art Revivals / Part 1

> Spotting Fakes and Forgeries: Mourning and Sentimental Art Revivals: Spotting

So, please stop by the Facebook Group and lend your opinion!

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