There is perhaps nothing more romantic than a woman dressing down in the evening in front an antique mirror. Picture her in a nightgown slowly undoing the pins on her hair and brushing it with a matching silver antique brush.
Antique mirrors are Victorian-inspired pieces that never waned in popularity despite the influx of thousands of other contemporary and ultra-modern designs. While their modern counterparts are generic and disposable, and are as easy to part with as the next new piece of furniture or house décor, antique mirrors are meant to be kept. They often become part of family heirloom pieces, or become treasured gifts passed on from one family member to another.
However, you don’t need to have a Great Aunt Mary to possess an antique mirror for your home. Surprisingly, antique mirrors can be bought in specialty shops, garage sales and even online – and they don’t come exactly come cheap too!
Antique mirrors are both functional and decorative pieces that serve as focus points as well as conversation pieces. Any guest who walks in would surely be drawn to the sheen of silver and glass, no matter how simple or how ornately decorated the antique mirror on display is.
The only setback however, is that there are many fake antique mirrors in the market today. “Instant antiques” as they are called are nothing but cheap new mirrors which are chemically treated and altered by unscrupulous sales people to look like the real thing.
Form afar, they do look like antique mirrors, but upon close inspection, you’ll notice that the brand new frames were just painted over to look like aged or polished silver. Another way to check if the mirror is a true antique is by its weight. Real antique mirrors are very heavy, as the frames are usually made of silver or other heavy metals or materials.
Check for natural wear and tear or signs of aging. Silver or wood exudes a polished “used” look as time passes, and this is something that cannot be duplicated in a matter of minutes or several hours. But perhaps the best way to guarantee that you’ll be purchasing an authentic antique mirror is to ask for a certificate or an authentication receipt. This is especially important for very valuable antique mirrors worth thousands of dollars.
