Goldsmiths’ Hall in the City is hosting Marks of deception: tackling fakes & forgeries in antique British silver on April 12.
Huguenot silversmith Paul de Lamerie (1688-1751) was the preeminent silversmith working in England in the 18th century.
As part of the Goldsmiths’ Company London Assay Office seminar (titled Marks of Deception: Tackling fakes & forgeries in antique British silver), a session is focused on identifying forgeries by the celebrated maker.
Peter Cameron, freeman of the Goldsmiths’ Company, hosts the session and says: “Since the 1990 Paul de Lamerie exhibition at Goldsmiths’ Hall, there has been a surge in fake pieces of de Lamerie silver offered for sale internationally, which when viewed in isolation have bamboozled some of the best antique silver dealers and experts in the world.”
Assay office investigation
The talk will focus on the discovery of these forgeries and the investigation undertaken by Cameron and the members of the Goldsmiths’ Hallmark Authentication Committee (GHAC).
The seminar, scheduled for April 12, will also cover the resources available within the Goldsmiths’ Company library and archive, explore the different types of fake British silver as well as give hands-on experience with objects from the London Assay Office’s Fakes & Forgeries collection.
The Goldsmiths’ Company London Assay Office has run GHAC - formerly the Antique Plate Committee - since 1939. Comprising established experts in the field, it advises the London Assay Office on the authenticity of an article’s provenance based on the hallmark, professional analysis of the object, and a scientific analysis of its metals. The one-day seminar at Goldsmiths’ Hall is designed to impart the knowledge of GHAC.
Attendees will include valuers and specialists from auction houses and dealers and anyone with an interest in staying on top of the latest hallmarking news.
The seminar had been delayed due to an IT issue at the Goldsmiths’ Company.
Tickets for Marks of Deception: Tackling fakes & forgeries in antique British silver are priced at £25 and details can be found at:
thegoldsmiths.co.uk/company-news/fakes-and-forgeries-seminar-april-2024
