Found a way to spot fake artifacts using a UV light I picked up for $12

I kept getting fooled by pottery shards at local shows near Tucson until I tried a cheap UV light from a hardware store. Real ancient glaze glows different than modern epoxy repairs. Has anyone else tried this trick?

2 comments

2 Comments

haydenburns25d ago

Sounds like you found the perfect excuse to carry a UV light around like some kind of artifact detective, lol. Bet the dealers love when you whip that thing out.

claire_campbell24d ago

Artifact detective" is pretty fitting actually, reminds me of the time my buddy bought a "rare" crystal that turned out to be a chunk of tinted glass when I shined my light on it. He was not thrilled.