How to Authenticate Antiques

Collecting, selling or otherwise dealing with antiques can be a very engaging hobby and a fulfilling profession. In any case, you must be sure that you are dealing with the genuine article, rather than just a cheap knock off. You must be able to authenticate your antiques. Read on to learn how to authenticate antiques.

Things You'll Need

• Hand-held drill
• Computer tomography scanner
• Fully-equipped C14 testing lab
• Fully-equipped metallurgy testing lab
• Fully-equipped thermoluminescence testing lab

Instructions

1. Know what material your antique is made of. Clay? Wood? Cloth? Metal? This may seem obvious, but you must know exactly in order to perform the proper test. Keep in mind that some materials are often designed to pass for others.

2. Start to authenticate clay objects by drilling away about 100mg of powder from an inconspicuous place toward the bottom of the object. This should be done in a dark room.

3. Perform the thermoluminescence test by heating the clay sample to 500 degrees Celsius. Radiation-sensitive equipment can gauge how much of certain radioactive materials an object has picked up since it was first made, thus telling the object's age.

4. Perform C14 radiation testing by chemically pre-treating a sample of your object according to its material type. For more information on this, visit the Antique Authentication website. See the Resources section below for a link.

5. Heat the sample to 900 degrees Celsius for two hours in a sealed quartz tube with cupric oxide and silver wire.

6. Pass the sample through a dewer of ethanol or dry ice to freeze and purify the carbon dioxide content.

7. Mix the sample with a measured amount of hydrogen gas to gauge the amount of C14. The amount of C14 that has accumulated over time will tell you the age of the object.

8. Perform a Computer Tomography Scan to determine manufacturing techniques, wear and tear and other such useful information that can provide clues to an antique's age and origin.

Tips & Warnings

• The most common authentication test is a radiocarbon "C14" test. It can be performed on a variety of different materials including wood, cloth, bone, shell and lacquer.

• Thermoluminescence testing can only be performed on objects containing at least trace amounts of clay that has been heated to over 500 degrees Celsius. This may include stone, porcelain or bronze objects.

• The thermoluminescence test is best performed on antiques dating up to about the eighteenth century.

• In authenticating antiques, you work with some very delicate materials and very sensitive equipment. Do not attempt to perform these tests unless you are a professional, or under the supervision of one.

• For porcelain or stoneware antiques, use a diamond core drill and drill under water to prevent heating.

Resources

• Information About Authentication Techniques From the Antique Authentication Website