The authenticity of the ancient
beads displayed on Induskunst.dk
Old beads and patina
Old beads develop a kind of tarnish called patina. This
patina forms over decades
and is
a result of generations of built up human sweat, soil and dirt causing a
chemical
reaction with the surface of the stone bead.
Carnelian beads
from around 1000 AD
The patina displayed on the beads above is the true "royal" sign of age.
It cannot be 100% faked!
One must always examine the patina of an old bead very closely.
This is the most difficult of all to duplicate.
Now take a close look at this Dzi bead from Taiwan:
On the surface of the above bead you
will note many small artificially made indentations designed to imitate
the "old look" patina.
This bead is a true fake! Due to their astronomical value, Dzi
beads are the most commonly faked beads.
Excavation patina is the term for the
kind of patina a bead will get, not from wearing, but from
being buried in the ground for centuries. The excavation patina is more
difficult to recognize and it often takes
an expert to distinguish between the shine of a newly made bead and the
"dusty" patina of an ancient excavated bead.
The bead shown below has genuine excavation patina. This patina is
difficult to display on website pictures.
Commonly excavation beads have
never or only briefly been worn. Often, they
signified the social position
of the deceased and/or acted as a talisman or even currency in the
after life.
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