Step by step

Here is what happens, concretely, between the moment you write to us and the moment you receive your report.

Step by step

1. Request. You complete the online assessment request: identity, type of object, dimensions, known provenance, photographs, urgency.
2. Acknowledgement. You receive a confirmation. A first reply specifies whether the file falls within the practice and which service suits it. A first reply is given within two working days.
3. Framing. We agree the service, fees and arrangements: place of examination, calendar, confidentiality.
4. Examination. The object is examined according to the method: visual, material, patina, use, comparison.
5. Research. Provenance, bibliography, documented comparisons.
6. Report. Writing a reasoned report, reviewed before delivery.
7. Handover. Delivery of the report and a discussion to explain it, with answers to your questions.
8. Follow-up. If new evidence appears, the opinion can be refined.

Information worth preparing

• Approximate dimensions and weight.
• What you know of the object’s history: where it comes from, who had it, when it arrived.
• Documents: invoices, certificates, labels, old photographs.
• Your aim: authentication, value, insurance, sale, estate.

Timeframes

Duration depends on the complexity of the file and the availability of sources. A calendar is given after framing. Allow two to four weeks depending on the service and the availability of sources.