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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bronwen, post: 1596005, member: 5833&quot;]Since this thread has been taken up again, I will add my 2 cents.&nbsp; From the glimpses I have had of the workings of big name auction houses, they do have &#039;experts&#039;, each of whom is supposed to be expert in a wide range of things.&nbsp; The Internet must have made their job much easier as a large part of what they do is consult reference books &amp; look for past auctions of similar items.&nbsp; I think it is rare, &amp; only for very high end items, that they do something really like a study.</p><p><br /></p><p>For most items they accept the representation of the consignor &amp; leave it at that.</p><p><br /></p><p>I see misrepresentations all the time.&nbsp; For example, all of these &#039;hardstone&#039; (agate) cameos:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/lyon-and-turnbull/catalogue-id-srly10258/lot-1ec7026c-9766-443a-88fc-ab4400a70e4b?utm_source=sr-trigger&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=watchlisttrigger&amp;utm_content=srly10258&amp;utm_term=2020/02/04" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/lyon-and-turnbull/catalogue-id-srly10258/lot-1ec7026c-9766-443a-88fc-ab4400a70e4b?utm_source=sr-trigger&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=watchlisttrigger&amp;utm_content=srly10258&amp;utm_term=2020/02/04" rel="nofollow">https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/lyon-and-turnbull/catalogue-id-srly10258/lot-1ec7026c-9766-443a-88fc-ab4400a70e4b?utm_source=sr-trigger&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=watchlisttrigger&amp;utm_content=srly10258&amp;utm_term=2020/02/04</a></p><p><br /></p><p>and all of these:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/lyon-and-turnbull/catalogue-id-srly10258/lot-15a6e9f5-33c4-4f81-8b5a-ab4400a70e4b?utm_source=sr-trigger&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=watchlisttrigger&amp;utm_content=srly10258&amp;utm_term=2020/02/04" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/lyon-and-turnbull/catalogue-id-srly10258/lot-15a6e9f5-33c4-4f81-8b5a-ab4400a70e4b?utm_source=sr-trigger&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=watchlisttrigger&amp;utm_content=srly10258&amp;utm_term=2020/02/04" rel="nofollow">https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/lyon-and-turnbull/catalogue-id-srly10258/lot-15a6e9f5-33c4-4f81-8b5a-ab4400a70e4b?utm_source=sr-trigger&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=watchlisttrigger&amp;utm_content=srly10258&amp;utm_term=2020/02/04</a></p><p><br /></p><p>are shell.&nbsp; I always reassure myself that anyone willing to pay that kind of money for cameos probably knows what they&#039;re looking at, even if the auctioneer does not.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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