When you buy art online, how do you know it is original and not fake? In the contemporary world, it becomes increasingly difficult to verify the authenticity of fine art since it can lead to a legal dispute. With the growth of uneducated and unqualified art certifiers, things have become a bit tricky and complicated. If you want to authenticate your pieces of art, you need to know the following ins and outs of art authentication services. How to find a reliable company? What are the challenges? Below are the answers to these and other questions.
4 ins and outs of art authentication services
1. The problem with a certificate of authenticity
A certificate of authenticity is usually a one-page document serving as evidence of professional opinion. The problem is that the term “professional” means different things to different people. To avoid misconceptions and save money, make sure you hire certified experts who are officially allowed to authenticate fine art.
2. Multifold authentication process
Authentication consists of several stages, so you need to arm yourself with patience in the first place. From the very beginning, art experts will perform a comparative analysis. Then, they will conduct provenance research, eventually followed by scientific analysis if needed. It is important to know the procedure.
3. Appraisal and authentication
Let’s make it clear: art appraisal services and art authentication services are not the same things. The former is necessary when you need to estimate the value of an item, whereas the latter implies in-depth research to find out whether a piece of art is original or not.
4. The changing nature of fees
Never trust fixed prices because the cost of authentication depends on many factors. The best you can do is get a personalized quote and provide experts with as much information as needed. Only then will you know the real price.
The more you know, the less you are exposed to the risks. Quality art authentication services are not an easy catch, so you should be extra cautious every time you want to use them.