Icon appraisal

We have designed this section dedicated to sacred icons, with the view to supply some explanations on how  the price of an icon is made

All what follows is surely not enough to tackle the task of having a sacred icon appraised. Those among you who are competent on the subject may rightly judge it a sketchy account and in some ways not exactly a precise analysis of the task.

We wish to underline that as a company we guarantee and certify the origin and manufacturing technique of each single icon we offer. In fact, every single hand-painted icon of Holyart comes with a certificate of authenticity which shall be delivered to you together with the product self

How to asses an Icon

Leaving aside ancient sacred icons, the price of more recent sacred icons depends on some basic parameters:

• the manufacturing technique of the icon: it is hard to produce a hit-list of the existing techniques, therefore we mention 5 main traditional techniques among those:
  1. silk-printed icons
  2. hand-painted icons
  3. hand-painted icon according to the traditional method, using a golden backdrop (no silver nor gold leaf)
  4. hand-painted icons according to the traditional method, using a golden backdrop created with a thin sheet of non precious metal (similar to silver or gold)
  5. hand-painted icons according to the traditional method , using a thin sheet of precious metals (silver or gold)
• the "school" of the icon: Russian icons and Greek icons are the most sought-after icons but Rumanian icons represent a good choice too.
• the distinctive trait of the artist: regardless of the manufacturing technique and the materials used, the distinctive trait of the artist who painted the icon is a key-aspect which can enhance or reduce the value of an icon. The artist's trait can be clearly perceived in the faces of the icon's figurines, in the shades of colours or in their brightness. Some icons, for example, have figurines with soft facial traits, others are simpler or "harder".
• the dimensions of the icon: the dimensions of icons can considerably vary, therefore we just mention the three most common sizes:
  • 18 x 22 cm
  • 22 x 32 cm
  • 32 x 44 cm

Below, you can find a summary chart that you can easily print and keep. Before purchasing a sacred icon, especially when the icon is hand-painted according to tradition, make sure that the icon comes with its certificate of authenticity, certifying its value and guaranteeing the refund of the money paid in case of fraud!

Technique	Dimension	Trait	School	Value
a. Silk screen printed icons	18x22 cm	No significant	Any
b. Silk screen printed and painted icons	22x32 cm	No significant	Turkey
c. Hand-painted icons	32x44 cm	Significant	Rumania
d. Hand-painted icons without the use of precious metals	40x60 cm	Significant	Greek and Cyprus
e. Hand-painted icons with the use of precious metals	50x70 cm	Significant	Russia