Experts of two French antiques have been convicted of making historical chairs who claimed that they once belonged to French royals such as Mary Antonate.

Georges “Bill” Pallot and Bruno Descenous were given four months back behind bars and also suspended to sell several fake chairs of the 18th century to collectors, including Versay’s Palace and a member of the Qatari Shahi family.

As the two have already served four months in pre-trial custody, they will not return to jail.

Another defendant, Laurent Craermer, who – along with his gallery – was accused of sufficiently to investigate the authenticity of the chairs before selling them, was deceptively acquitted.

Wednesday’s decision was the culmination of nine years of investigation which shook the world of French antiques.

In a court in Pontois north of Paris, the judge fined € 200,000 (£ 169,500) and € 100,000 Pallot and Diso, respectively.

Reacting to his sentence, Pallot said that it was “financially harsh”, but he was happy that his Paris apartment would not be confiscated.

During the test, the prosecution argued that his gallery in Laurent Craermer and Paris was at a mistake to fail to sufficiently check the authenticity of the items purchased by him, before they bought two chairs before selling buyers like Qatari Prince Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, they said that Mary Antonate said.

But on Wednesday, Mr. Craermer and Gallery were acquitted. He always refused to know about the forgery.

In a comment sent to the BBC, his lawyers stated that the verdict “demonstrated innocence that the Cramer Gallery was claiming the case since one day”.

“Gallery was a victim of fake people; it was not known that the furniture was fake, and it could not detect it, as the decision indicates,” said Martin Ryanoud and Mauricia Cortrag.

He said, “For about 10 years, our customers have been incorrectly charged. They have waited patiently to manifest the truth. It is now done, and today it is a great relief to see their innocence recognized for them,” he said.

At the height of his career, Pallot was considered a top scholar at the French 18th century chairs, who wrote an official book on the subject.

He was also a lecturer at the prestigious Sorbone University in Paris, which had access to the historical record of Versay Palace, which included the invention of royal furniture that were present in the palace in the 18th century.

Pallot was able to indicate which chairs were unaware of the collection and then the densous, a prize winner with the help of sculptor and cabinetmaker, made replicas, who served as the main furniture restaurars for Versay.

During the trial in March, Palot told the court, “I was the chief and the densuz was hands.”

“It went like an air,” he said. “Everything was fake but money.”

The prosecutor Pascal Rare said in its closing arguments in the trial that the case “brightens the rare and remarkable spotlight on the market for historical furniture, brings to light a world that has been stamped with privacy and conscience.”

He said that it revealed the clashes of the market flaws and the conflict of the interests contained in its structure, especially where Bill Pallot, and experts like their partner Woodcarrver Dassus are also traders, are unknown to the buyer “.

Mr. Rare said that the case resulted in “disintegration in an entire market, which highlighted the need for more strong regulation of the art market to achieve fairness of transparency and transactions”.

Other cases that have been reported from the world of ancient objects deal in France in the last decade include the late gene Lupu, who were also accused of selling fake royal furniture of the 17th and 18th century in galleries around the world. He died in 2023 before appearing in court.