CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Does your Thanjavur have fake gold?

Now there is an easy way to tell without taking it apart — Raman spectroscopy

R. Prasad The researchers tested spectroscopy findings. CHENNAI ten ‘gold foils’ and found “EDX can also be used to People have long known only three to be genuine. find out if the foil is made that not every Thanjavur In the case of paintings, of gold. But unlike in the painting that glitters is only one or two out of ten case of EDX, Raman gold. There was, however, turned out to be genuine spectroscopy does not no way to find out if the gold foil. The gold foils and require the removal of the gold foil and gemstones paintings (most of them frame and the glass,” said used in these traditional made recently) used in the Dr. Venkatnarayan, the crafts were authentic or study were sourced from corresponding author of a fake – not without ruining artisans from in and paper published in the the painting. Now there is: around Thanjavur. journal Spectrochimica Raman spectroscopy. Real glitter: Using gold foil Acta Part A: Molecular and The gold foil used adds to the life of a Art with GI tag Biomolecular liberally in Thanjavur painting. * R.M. RAJARATHINAM Thanjavur paintings have Spectroscopy. paintings serves two Geographical Indication Raman spectroscopy, objectives: the glitter at the Indian Institute of tags, which puts a which helps identify makes the painting more Technology (BHU) premium on their molecules in ‘gold’ foil is attractive, and it also Varanasi, and his team of authenticity, but there are attractive as it is non- prolongs the life of the researchers from SASTRA no regulations governing destructive. “We are artefact. Foils made of fake University, Thanjavur, the quality or authenticity. working to find out the material look similar to Tamil Nadu have found a The researchers composition of the fake genuine gold, making it solution that uses Raman validated their detection of material,” Dr. difficult for consumers to spectroscopy to tell fake gold by carrying out Venkatnarayan said. tell the difference. whether the foil used in an energy dispersive X-ray The research paper also Ramanathan the paintings is made of analysis (EDX) of the suggested framing of Venkatnarayan from the gold or some other paintings, which regulations for Thanjavur Department of Chemistry cheaper material. confirmed the Raman paintings.