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Updated: May 23, 2026

X-ray Powder Diffraction in Conservation Science: Towards Routine Crystal Structure Determination of Corrosion Products on Heritage Art Objects
Published on: June 8, 2016
X-ray fluorescence analysis of archaeological finds and art objects: recognizing gold and gilding
1Department of Dosimetry and Application of Ionizing Radiation, Czech Technical University in Prague, Břehová 7, 11519 Praha 1, Czech Republic. tomas.trojek@fjfi.cvut.cz
Abstract:
Many cultural heritage objects were gilded in the past, and nowadays they can be found in archeological excavations or in historical buildings dating back to the Middle Ages, or from the modern period. Old gilded artifacts have been studied using X-ray fluorescence analysis and 2D microanalysis. Several techniques that enable the user to distinguish gold and gilded objects are described and then applied to investigate artifacts. These techniques differ in instrumentation, data analysis and numbers of measurements. The application of Monte Carlo calculation to a quantitative analysis of gilded objects is also introduced.
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