Art conservation and restoration are similar and different. Art conservation is the profession devoted to the preservation of antiquities for the future. Some of the activities included in conservation include examination, documentation some treatment and preventative care, all the while supported by research and education. The conservator also wants to establish the causes of deterioration and they want to prevent further deterioration. A conservator is generally academically trained to the Master's level. The training they have might be scientific, some art history and artistic aspects. The conservator tries to handle and work on the artifact as little as possible, and what work he does do he uses reversible materials as often as possible. A conservator has to understand the structure of the artifact he is working with.
Restoration involves the cleaning, repairing, and sometimes reconstruction of the work. One of the most common tasks of restorers is the removal of residue from sculptures or paintings. Most restorers have been trained in artistic ways, and they get there knowledge through trial and error. Restoration tries to bring the artifact back to what we think it looked like. The problem with that is everyone views things differently and what we think the artifact is suppose to look like doesn't mean that's the way the artist painted it and how the artist wanted it to look. In appropriate restoration may adversely affect an objects long-term preservation. Repairing a damaged textile by re-embroidering or renewing missing or worn areas may do more harm than good. (The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council)
Both conservators and restorers share some aspects of their work. Both want to preserve the integrity of the artifact. They both want to preserve its history and how it was made. Both use methods that are reversible and they both use materials that can be removed without damaging the artifact. What has happened to the artifact could be historically important. They both also share the belief of not to destroy or hide evidence of how the artifact was made and the composition of the artifact. Some people believe that restoration would damage the piece, and that the damage done to the artifact is part of history itself. Often conservation and restoration is carried out by the same person. The decision on which path to choose, to repair an artifact depends on the client. The conservator and restorer do discuss the options with the client but inevitably it is left up to the client which direction to go. If a client is a museum or gallery a more cautious approach is needed and the emphasis is on retaining as much of the work that is original. Those in the private sector generally follow the same path.
The main difference between conservation and restoration is a conservator simply wants to fix the artifact for future viewers. A restorer will repair an artifact to the way he/she thinks it should look like, which could change the artifact in the long run and might not turn out the way the artists intended.
The Golden Rule is that the conservator should not use his imagination in restoration or reconstruction. If the conservator can't find out through research what the artifact actually looked like then he/she should not proceed with the restoration of the artifact. The aim should not to make the artifact look new, but rather make it look like it has been cared for, and what it looked like in the context of when it was being used. Conservators cannot just go off and do whatever they think is necessary with an object. Research needs to be done to make the artifact as genuine as possible. Conservators and restorers are both very similar, and sometimes both jobs are done by the same person. The conservator simply wants to preserve an artifact and make available for future generations. The restorer wants the same, but he will alter the artifact to what he feels it should look like which is mis-leading to people, because the object is no longer original.