A few hints to understand how a Sacred Icon can be appraised
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.
By clicking on this link you may see the: certificate of authenticity (or click here to download form) which comes with each hand-painted sacred icon carried out according to tradition on our website and which shall be delivered to you together with the product self.
Enjoy your reading!
How to asses an icon
Leaving aside ancient sacred icons , the price of more recent sacred icons depends on some basic parameters:
1. 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:
- - silk printed icons
- - hand-painted icons
- - hand-painted icon according to the traditional method, using a golden backdrop (no silver nor gold leaf)
- - 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)
- - hand-painted icons according to the traditional method using a thin sheet of precious metals (silver or gold)
2. the "school" of the icon: Russian icons and Greek icons are the most sought-after icons but Romanian icons represent a good choice too.
3. 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".
4. 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!
Visit our gallery of sacred icons.
Hand-painted icons according to tradition
Silk screen printed icons
The value of an icon
| * Intrinsic value of the icon, depending on the manufacturing technique |
** Dimension of the icon |
*** Distinctive trait of the artist/manufacturer |
**** The "school" of the icon |
***** Price of the icon |
| Silk screen printed icons | 18 x 22 | In silk screen printed icons è it is not a decisive element |  |
|
| Silk screen printed and painted icons | 22 x 32 | In silk screen printed icons è it is not a decisive element | Turkey | |
| Hand-painted icons | 32 x 44 | In hand-painted icons it is a decisive element | Romania | |
| Hand-painted icons with the traditional technique and WITHOUT the use of precious metals | 40 x 60 | Greece and Cyprus | |
|
| Hand-painted icons with the traditional technique and WITH the use of precious metals | 50 x 70 and other special sizes | Russia |  |
LEGEND:
* Intrinsic value of the icon depending on the manufacturing technique:
A sacred icon which has been manufactured using the "icon traditional technique" has a higher value than a silk screen-printed icon in general, see our in-depth analysis on the manufacturing techniques of sacred icons for further information.
** Dimension of the icon :
The higher the dimension of an icon, the higher is its manufacturing cost and therefore its price.
*** Distinctive trait of the artist/manufacturer:
The ability of the artist obviously plays an important role, in particular for hand-painted icons. Every artist in fact interprets the theme of an icon following his/her personal, creative flair.
**** The "school" of the icon:
The Russian school is usually mentioned as the most renowned one, but also the Greek and Rumanian schools have a good reputation in the manufacturing of icons.
***** Price of the icon:
The higher the number of coins is, the higher is the price of the icon
