Conduct · Reviewed annually

How we work, written down.

Authentication is a position of trust. Below is the published standard against which Xene staff are reviewed, and against which clients may hold us to account. The current text was last revised in January 2026.

1. 01

   Independence

   Xene does not buy, sell or broker any item it grades. No specialist may hold a beneficial interest in any item submitted to the firm. Specialists declare quarterly under formal compliance review.

2. 02

   Provenance and lawful origin

   We decline items lacking sufficient documentation of lawful origin under the UK Treasure Act 1996, the Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003, the UNESCO 1970 Convention, and the country of origin's export regulations. The Director of Compliance reviews flagged submissions; declines are without appeal.

3. 03

   Anti-money-laundering

   Xene is registered with HMRC as a High-Value Dealer for AML purposes. All clients are KYC-screened on first engagement and re-screened every two years. Transactions over £10,000 are reportable; cash above £500 is not accepted in any circumstance.

4. 04

   Sanctions

   We screen all clients against the UK OFSI consolidated list, the EU sanctions list and the US OFAC SDN list. Items with any indicated link to sanctioned persons or jurisdictions are declined immediately and reported as required.

5. 05

   Conflict and looted material

   Items with any indication of looting from conflict zones, illicit excavation, or Holocaust-era spoliation are declined. We refer claimants to the Commission for Looted Art in Europe and the Art Loss Register, and cooperate fully with police restitution enquiries.

6. 06

   Materials and sustainability

   Our holders are machined from optical-grade acrylic offcuts and certified-recycled stock where mechanical performance permits. Letterpress paper is FSC-certified, printed with vegetable-oil inks. Couriers are selected partly on carbon disclosure; our Paris–London bonded transit moves by train where schedule allows. We do not greenwash: a full annual statement is published with our population report.

7. 07

   Workforce

   All Xene staff are directly employed; we do not use third-party grading contractors. Pay is published in bands, equal across gender. Apprentices are taken on through the Goldsmiths' Company Apprenticeship scheme.

8. 08

   Disclosure and complaint

   Any grade can be queried in writing for free; if review confirms an error, we re-issue the certificate without charge. Disputes that cannot be resolved internally are referred to independent arbitration under London Court of International Arbitration rules.