“Is it genuine?” and “What is it worth?” may be asked about the same luxury item, but they are not the same question. A clear answer to one does not settle the other.
I treat authentication and valuation as different professional questions. Keeping them separate helps an owner understand what has been assessed—and what still needs attention.
Authentication: does the evidence support authenticity?
Authentication considers whether an item is genuine by interpreting the available evidence as a whole. Brand, model, materials, construction and production period matter, together with relevant historical production-period reference data.
A correct serial number is not enough to establish authenticity. Equally, a feature that differs from another example does not, by itself, prove that an item is counterfeit. The professional task is to understand whether the evidence is consistent with the item and its production context, rather than simply count similarities or differences.
Photographs can provide valuable evidence, but they have limits. Where the available images cannot resolve a material question, physical examination may still be needed.
Valuation: value for what purpose, and as at what date?
Valuation asks a different question: what is the item's value for a defined purpose, in a particular context and on a stated effective date?
Authenticity alone does not answer that. Condition, repair or alteration history, completeness and relevant market evidence can affect the assessment. Two authentic examples of the same model may therefore have different values.
The purpose of a valuation matters because value is assessed within a defined context. The basis used should therefore be made clear, rather than treating value as a single number that applies in every situation. The effective date matters because markets change; a past valuation should not automatically be treated as a current figure.
An advertised price also needs context. It records what a seller is asking, not necessarily what a buyer has paid. A useful assessment looks beyond the visible number to whether the evidence is relevant to the item and the question being answered.
Where inspection fits
Inspection examines the item itself: its condition, construction and observable details. Those observations can inform both authentication and valuation, but the conclusions serve different purposes.
Wear, for example, may matter to condition and value without settling authenticity. This is why a condition description, an authenticity conclusion and a valuation should not be treated as interchangeable. My areas of expertise distinguish these related forms of assessment.
Start with the decision you need to make
If your uncertainty is whether an item is genuine, the question is authentication. If you need to understand its value, explain why you need that value and the date it should relate to. If both are unresolved, make both questions explicit rather than assume one assessment answers everything.
A useful professional assessment gives you more than a label or a number. It connects the question, the evidence and the conclusion so you can understand the answer you have received.