Have I Been Duped On Ebay?

[-=METACOM=-]

Hey guys,

So I think I bought a phony celt. It had a shiny polished look to it until I took a toothbrush to it with a tiny bit of soapy water. I could see the soap took on a very light brown color as I washed it. The shine is gone now, did I wash off a fake patina? Here's a pic before and after cleaning. Please let me know if I should be asking for my money back.

[-=METACOM=-]

Here is the original listing if anyone is curious.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Indian-Artifacts-Nice-Polished-Granite-Celt-/232186135263

[Hoss]

I do not see any red flags. Some collectors put stuff on artifacts to make them shine. Some may just shine from being handled. Oils from the hands can transfer to the stone. Taz has over 11,000 sales and none are negative. I think you did good on that one.

[-=METACOM=-]

Phew, glad to hear it, thanks Hoss.

[Kyflintguy]

Im not sure if you washed off a fake patina or a real patina? Im not an expert on hardstone, maybe Paul or someone else will have a better idea on authenticity of your item. I can say i have bought several things off of that seller and have never had an issue with anything being "bad". Im pretty sure that many real artifacts gather a shine or patina from being handled and the oils on collectors hands rub off on them. Maybe its just that (oils from collectors hands) that you washed off? I have heard of cleaning polished artifacts and it removing the natural patina which in turn decreased desirability. In what case may prove troublesome if you tried to return the item? Maybe, maybe not, i don't know? Good news is it wasnt that expensive...

[SDhunter]

Looks good to me too.

[Hoss]

In my opinion patina is in or on a rock permanently and there is simply no way you can just wash it off. Perhaps it can be done with acids or chemical paths but it cannot be done with water and a tooth brush. If that sat in a persons home for years then it just had dust on it and perhaps was never cleaned good when found.

[-=METACOM=-]

I had heard a story the day prior about people putting fake patinas on points to fool people. lol That's why I thought that was a possibility.

EDIT: Forgot to mention the story included the patina being washed off with a toothbrush.

[Cachefind09]

Your celt does look to be authentic. Some collectors put mineral oil on their artifacts to bring out the colors, especially on slate and hardstone. I think this is probably what was done to your celt and over the years the oil just dried and you just brought it back to its natural patina when you washed it off. I think they do look nicer with that shiny polished look.

[Kyflintguy]

In my opinion patina is in or on a rock permanently and there is simply no way you can just wash it off. Perhaps it can be done with acids or chemical paths but it cannot be done with water and a tooth brush. If that sat in a persons home for years then it just had dust on it and perhaps was never cleaned good when found.

Forgive me Matt, I was referring to removing the natural deposits by washing and or scrubbing , not actual patination of the rock itself. I should have been more clear. Im not real familiar with hardstone, cleaning and handling thereof, Of course if you buy something and want to clean all the junk off like Metacom has, its yours/his to do whatever. But have I heard incorrectly that there is such a thing as depreciation due to scrubbing off deposits on hardstone? Or is that a misconception? Or does it just apply to say slate artifacts moreso than all hardstone?

[2ndoldman]

Lighting and how a picture is edited can make a huge difference in appearance.
Here is the original listing picture And after a little enhancement. From what I can see. You washed off the dirt.

[-=METACOM=-]

Damn, that is a big difference.

[Havenhunter]

Many crystal and gem dealers apply mineral oil to enhance the visual appearance of their pieces. Emerald dealers will go so far as to wax their stones to hide inclusions.
But I agree with the others that you just washed off years of grime. Very nice celt!

[gregszybala]

Could have been 30-40-50 years of tobacco smoke too.

[pkfrey]

If an artifact is authentic, and there are solid mineral deposits on the surface, be it iron, caliche, magnatite, etc., those deposits are there to stay. They won't wash off with a tooth brush. You can grind them off, but who would do that. Hoss, and the other are correct, it's a good celt, you just washed off years of handling, and grime and dirt from over the years.

[Looks2Much]

Before I dove into this hobby I spent many years hunting sea glass and something a lot of sea glass hunters do with their collection is rub them with olive oil to make the glass shine like jewels, I wonder if people do that with hard stone artifacts, or maybe there's another product that can be applied to accentuate the natural luster of the stone that can be washed away. I used to work in paint and coatings and I know there is a light stone sealer that is water-based that would probably wash off with a little elbow grease and the look of the dried product is pretty close to what you have there.

I've only even seen one celt in real life, so I can't speak to the authenticity, but it looks real to me! lol

[TSUMS]

I would start to worry if there was no deposits or patina and no signs of use wear...this is a nice one...you did good...