Why Your Deduction May Not Be What You Anticipate | Many donors assume that if they paid a certain amount for an item, or believe it has appreciated over time, the charitable deduction will naturally reflect that value. Unfortunately, the reality is often far more complex.

The great 20th century jewelry makers such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Tiffany are among the top in the field for good reason. Their history, craftsmanship and status in the canon is secure. They are rightfully among the most sought after pieces in the collector market. And their prices reflect this demand, leaving less opportunity for collectors. The sophisticated buyer, at this point, begins to look elsewhere.

Costume jewelry, non-precious, playful, and sometimes theatrical, seemed unlikely to achieve cultural significance and collectable value. Yet it has.

There are rooms that are simply rooms, well-appointed interiors that are tasteful and reflect the owner’s persona. Then there are rooms that become environments mixing collections, design and emerging artistry with a vision that makes them timeless.

There is a particular kind of influence that does not announce itself. Elsie de Wolfe understood this before anyone had a word for it.

The story of the DESTE Foundation does not begin with a collection. It begins with an idea that engagement with art could exist before ownership, and that context could be built before objects were acquired.

Luxury is a word of many concepts, shifting interpretations that mirror culture, wealth, time, and personal values. What once signaled excess now often signals restraint. What once required money now sometimes requires perspective.

To dress with intention is not simply to look good. It's to align what you wear with who you are at that moment. The outfit becomes less about presentation and more about curation. You are asking, consciously or not: What does this moment require of me? And what version of myself am I stepping into? This is where intention begins to extend beyond the wardrobe.

Taste does not arrive all at once, nor does it come from simply being around beautiful things. It develops slowly, almost quietly, through a series of shifts in how you see, interpret, and choose. What people often call “becoming cultured” is less about exposure and more about learning how to perceive with precision and decide with intention. In the appraising field, we study for years and often over the course of a lifetime.

He wasn’t looking for art. He was looking for historical images, visual documentation and anything that could support his research. The negatives were unattributed, unorganized and considered low-value surplus from a storage locker. There was no indication of significance, nor did he know who they originally belonged to.

Collector & Dealer of Vintage Fashion, Accessories and Jewelry, Haute Couture, Red Carpet and Museum Quality Clothing

Appraisers work under a code of confidentiality like doctors and lawyers, so we can’t talk about our clients. But we can tell you the tales inside our profession. With their permission, this is their story.

In a world where shopping is irresistible, you can either buy with future value in mind or you can buy and drain your assets. Every purchase you make is one or the other from the couch you sit on to the shoes you wear. When you shop with the knowledge of Luxury Literacy, you’ll shop like there is a tomorrow. And when tomorrow comes, you’ll realize you’ve changed your life one purchase at a time.