Financial Times FT.com

Re-inventing antiques: Is this an acceptable face of gem vandalism?

By Paula Weideger

Published: March 18 2010 17:05 | Last updated: March 18 2010 17:05

What some call improvement others call vandalism. This applies not only to facelifts and buildings but to antique gems and jewels.

Geoffrey Munn, managing director of London jeweller Wartski, compares “demolishing an antique jewel to cutting an oil painting down to size”. Many collectors, dealers and art historians believe such pieces should never be touched.

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