[Jewelry making - Article 00166] - Re: [Orchid] Value of old Roman intaglios?

[Lisa Bialac-Jehle]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

    Ouch!...You sound pretty upset Lee. Did you get seriously burned
    buying something off of E-Bay? Sorry. My question wasn't if the work
    I was looking at was fake, but what actually is the going price for
    ancient intaglios. I have gotten some incredibly lovely stuff off of
    E-bay, and a very few things that made me shake my head and
    laugh...usually at myself for thinking I could get such a great deal.
    Lately however, I bought an old garden gate for $45 that I was able
    to verify came from an old redone cemetery from 1890. It is gorgeous!
    So who knows? 

    One always runs the risk of "antique" articles being fake whether you
    buy them off of the web, or spend mucho time examining them carefully
    in person. Even experts are fooled over and over again. Then again
    there is the situation of the Getty and other museums buying both
    fake and real items from looted sites. Don't think the Getty got
    anything off of E-Bay, although given past history, I wouldn't put it
    past them....lol.... I live near the joint. 

>     Are you refering to intaglio cut STONES or METAL? I see many of
>     both on eBay. 

    An intaglio is of course in metal, stone, and is also a print. As I
    am a jeweler, as I said, I was looking at stones to use in my work.
    It would be a stretch for me to bezel set a print or some old brittle
    incised ring. One or two of the rings looked pretty interesting
    though design-wise, real or not. 

    I think buying anything off of the web, either on E-bay, or even what
    you might consider a "reputable site" is a caveat emptor situation.
    (ancient latin pun/reference intended). You use common sense, stay
    within a budget and keep your expectations low. That usually works
    for me. 

    So...does anyone out there have an idea of what a very old genuine
    intaglio might go for outside of E-Bay? Think roughly and simply
    done, not a full depiction of Ceasar on his chariot, or something in
    the collection of the crown jewels. I would still love to know. :-) 

    Lisa, (haven't had to fire up the wood stove yet, but I can feel it
    coming) Topanga, CA USA

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________