Reviewed report
What happened?
I was shopping for a vintage Ottoman-style silver ring and a traditional carpet in the Grand Bazaar. The shopkeeper was extremely charismatic, offered me apple tea, and showed me a beautiful ring that he claimed was a 100-year-old antique. To prove it, he handed me a stamped 'Official Certificate of Authenticity' printed on fancy parchment paper. I bought it for $450. The next day, I showed the ring to an independent licensed gemologist outside the tourist area in Nuruosmaniye. He laughed and told me it was a modern, mass-produced silver replica worth no more than $40. The 'official certificate' was just a meaningless paper the shop printed themselves to trick tourists.