Specialist advice for significant Hermès assets and collections.

We can review and document a collection, bringing together photography, condition reporting, authentication records, valuations, purchase documentation, provenance and relevant supporting material.

The objective is not simply to create an inventory. It is to ensure that the information surrounding a collection is accurate, organised, current and available when it is needed, whether for insurance, inheritance, professional advice or simply better oversight.

For larger collections, this can develop into an ongoing relationship in which records and valuations are reviewed as the collection changes.

There is no single number that represents the value of an Hermès piece in every circumstance. The appropriate basis of valuation may change depending on why the valuation is required. An insurance replacement valuation may answer a different question from a valuation required for an estate, divorce, acquisition, loss or another professional matter.

Aureon therefore begins by establishing the purpose of the valuation. Depending on the instruction, our analysis may consider the exact specification and condition of the piece, provenance and supporting documentation, authentication, current market availability, comparable transactions, replacement availability and relevant market conditions.

• Insurance and replacement
• Estates and probate
• Inheritance and succession
• Divorce and division of assets
• Acquisition
• Loss or damage
• Portfolio reporting
• Professional or legal matters

Before asking what something is worth, we ask what the valuation is for.

The most visible piece is not necessarily the best acquisition, the most expensive piece is not necessarily the rarest, and an item described as an investment is not necessarily one at the price being asked.

Depending on the instruction, we can consider market value, acquisition price, scarcity, condition, provenance, documentation, authentication, liquidity, current availability and how a proposed piece fits within an existing collection. Where a purchase is being presented as an investment, we can also examine the basis for that claim.

Our role is not to create urgency around a transaction. It is to provide the information and context required to make a better-informed decision.

“Rare”, “collectible” and “investment” do not mean the same thing.

Aureon works alongside specialist brokers and other appropriate professionals to help ensure the information surrounding a valuable Hermès collection is accurate, current and capable of supporting a claim if required.

Our role can include reviewing the specialist information surrounding the collection, including current replacement values, authentication records, ownership evidence, photography, asset schedules, storage arrangements and other collection-specific considerations.

Where a client does not already have an appropriate specialist broker or other professional adviser, we can make relevant introductions through our network.

When a high-value loss occurs, the questions extend far beyond what something was worth. Ownership may need to be evidenced. Individual pieces may need to be identified. Authentication and purchase history may become relevant. Valuations may need to reflect realistic replacement costs rather than what was originally paid.

Photography, documentation and the records maintained before a loss can suddenly become critical.

Aureon helps clients and businesses consider these issues before something goes wrong and, where appropriate, can provide specialist support following a loss alongside insurers, brokers and other professional advisers.

Hermès collections increasingly appear within estates, inheritance, divorce proceedings and other situations where ownership, authenticity and value must be established accurately.

Aureon can work directly with clients or alongside lawyers, trustees, fiduciaries and other professional advisers. Depending on the matter, our role can include identification and cataloguing, authentication, valuation, collection documentation, market analysis and written specialist reporting.

The scope of each engagement is determined by the requirements of the case.

Working alongside appropriate specialists where required, Aureon can advise around the environment in which significant Hermès pieces are stored, moved and used.

This can include consideration of physical storage, safes, access, alarm and CCTV arrangements, travel, second homes, collection movement, handling procedures and the documentation associated with valuable assets.

Advice is tailored to the collection, location and circumstances of the client.

Where authentication is required, pieces are examined through Authenticated by Aureon™, our proprietary Hermès authentication standard.

Authenticated by Aureon™ is not an unrestricted public image-authentication service. Every piece must be physically examined and is assessed through our proprietary 72-point methodology. Four human specialists are involved in the review process, including two internal specialists and two independent external specialists, before certification can be issued.

Authentication may form part of a wider Aureon Collector engagement or be accessed through selected professional partners and appropriate individual instructions.