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* An artefact must not be improved by embellishment
* As much of the original artefact should be preserved as possible. This is arguably the biggest difference between conservation and our sister profession; restoration
* "Ethnographic dirt" or evidence of former use such as incense deposits on temple goods should be retained
* The work of a conservator should be recognisable upon detailed inspection of an artefact
* Appropriate adhesive should be used when conserving a particular artefact
* All conservation work done upon an artefact should be reversible, if at all possible
* All conservation work done should be recorded so that future conservators can identify both the original artefact and the conservation work. This will enable, inter alia, the effectiveness of particular conservation treatments to be studied,
* Conservation grade products should be used because they are likely to be less damaging to the artefact thus reducing the chance that it will need treating again
To summarise the work of all the disciplines is hard; typically, though, artefacts are cleaned mechanically or with solvents, and including water and detergent, to remove rust stains and accumulated acids.
Repairs can be made with a wide variety of materials but we prefer not to mend like with like, such as using metal solder to repair a metal artefact. This reduces the chance of people thinking the repair is part of the original artefact, even if the work has been fully documented.
Painting of artefacts is often a contentious issue; one book about
Meaning that, in general, mild adhesives should be used so that if, for example, (and God forbid) a repaired ceramic is dropped, the glue "breaks" rather than the ceramic.