Please contact us first by phone, fax or email.

What we’ll want to know

• Let us know where you live so that we can recommend the nearest agent or arrange a visit.
• Tell us what type of piece you have - eg a Ming vase, Precolumbian pottery figure etc

What you should realise

• We can only test fired ceramics. These include:
  Earthenware
  Stoneware (high-fired pottery)
  Porcelain
  Casting cores of bronzes
  Discuss your sample with us if you are not sure
• One or more samples will have to be drilled from your object from an inconspicuous place.

Getting your piece sampled

• UK sampling is free but there will be a travel charge outside Central London
• Outside the UK, there will be an additional, separate sampling fee payable directly to our representative.
• Objects may be sampled by us or one of our representatives
• Objects may be sent but please notify us first to arrange for paperwork and return arrangements (including payment for transportation).
• Objects may be brought to our laboratory by appointment.

What you will receive: Our reports for you

• No results will be issued until we have cleared all payments.
• Samples are normally processed within three weeks and once payment is received, preliminary results are faxed or emailed. Original reports will be mailed.
• A single page report is issued for each piece. Only one report will be issued for each object and it will be given a unique number.

Copies of Reports and Confidentiality

• Copies of reports can only be obtained under exceptional circumstances and there will always be a fee.
• In certain cases, requests for extra reports will be refused.
• To ensure confidentiality, no results will be given to a third party unless the report number is quoted.

Reports after restoration

We get requests for a new report after restoration. We must have the current report for the un-restored piece plus a photograph of the restored object taken from the same angle. We will retain the original report if a new one is issued. Please note that we have had to refuse requests on some occasions, as the restored object has not been the same one as on the report. There will be a charge for this service.

Forged (imitation) Fake reports

Our tests and our certificates are held in very high regard worldwide. They can add greatly to the value of a piece, and are therefore very important in sales. As a result, some fraudulent reports have been detected. There is an especially large amount of fraud in connection with reissued reports. If you buy an object with a report, we strongly advise that you contact us, faxing the report and sending a current photograph of the object taken from the same angle as in the report.
Please note that we can only accept photographs in JPEG format, taken with minimum resolution and a file length of 2-300kb for speed of transmission.