Q I hear that many pieces of old antique jewellery are fake. If I want to invest in a piece, where can I get authentication that it's as old as the vendor says?
WHAT THE EXPERT SAYS
'It depends on what you're interested in, because every piece of antique jewellery will have a feature that requires its own expert,' says Bernard Berger, the director of Cartier Tradition, a department of Cartier that collects and sells antiques. 'Even we sometimes prefer to pay a commission to get expert advice. For example, if there's enamel in the piece, I'd need to consult someone who can make sure it's real.'
FIRST THINGS FIRST
'But in general, the first thing you have to look for, depending on the actual piece, is the cut of the stones,' says Berger. 'For example, if it's from 1850, you'd expect the cutting of the stone to correspond to that period. You'd also look at how those stones are set. Certain techniques are unique to a certain period.
'Then, you have to look at the metal stamps,' he says. 'Most European countries that are major producers of jewellery, such as France, Britain, Austria, Holland and Sweden, put specific stamps on their pieces. To see whether they're authentic, you can compare the stamps to the ones in the books.