Luxury Authentication · Appraisal · Advisory
Graham Wetzbarger
Two decades protecting the value of luxury — authenticating and appraising more than a billion dollars in handbags, watches, jewelry and couture.
Newark, Delaware · Available Worldwide
01About
Graham Wetzbarger is a globally recognized authority on luxury authentication and appraisal.
An art historian by training and a self-described fashion fanatic, Graham turned a lifelong obsession with craftsmanship into a career defining the standards of trust in the luxury resale market. As the 50th employee and Chief Authenticator at The RealReal, he built and led an authentication group of more than 100 experts and helped scale the company to a billion-dollar valuation.
Today he is Founder & CEO of Luxury Appraisals & Authentication, Chief Authentication Officer at LUXUS, and co-founder of the Authentication Institute of America — the first program to offer formal scholarship in luxury authentication and counterfeit detection. He advises brands, law firms, investors and resale platforms, and serves as an expert witness in matters of fraud and intellectual property.
$1B+
Authenticated & appraised
15+
Years in luxury resale
100+
Authenticators led at The RealReal
#50
Employee at The RealReal
02Expertise
Every category of luxury, held to a single standard.
Deep, category-specific knowledge across the full spectrum of the luxury and resale markets — built over two decades and a billion dollars in goods.
Handbags
Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton and beyond — from contemporary to grail archive.
Watches & Timepieces
Movement, case, dial and provenance verified against the maker's standards.
Fine Jewelry
Stones, metals, hallmarks and settings — GIA-trained assessment.
Sneakers & Streetwear
Hype and heritage releases authenticated for a fast-moving market.
Ready-to-Wear & Couture
Runway, seasonal and 20th-century couture across every maison.
Vintage & Archive
Designer vintage and rare archive pieces, dated and documented.
03Services
Expertise, engaged on your terms.
From a single grail piece to enterprise authentication programs and the courtroom — trusted by collectors, brands, platforms and counsel.
Category-specific authentication for individuals, platforms and brands — from a single grail piece to high-volume intake, backed by a documented four-pillar methodology.
04The Method
A universal four-pillar approach to authenticity.
Genuine expertise takes years to build. Every verdict is grounded in a repeatable framework — verified with all the senses, cross-referenced against decades of maison-specific reference.
Materials
The grain, weight and finish of leathers, textiles, metals and stones — verified by sight, touch and even scent.
Construction
Stitching, edge-painting, symmetry and assembly against each maison's documented standards.
Hardware
Zippers, clasps, engravings and plating examined for tooling marks and period-correct detail.
Brand Markers
Date codes, serials, fonts, holograms and heat-stamps cross-referenced across decades of reference.
Authenticity isn't a single tell — it's the sum of every detail. You learn to read materials, construction, hardware and brand markers with all your senses, until the truth is undeniable.
— Graham Wetzbarger
05Recognition
Featured across the world's leading press.
06Credentials
Accredited, compliant, and independently accountable.
AAA Certified
Appraisers Association of America
USPAP Compliant
Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice
AJP
GIA — Accredited Jewelry Professional
BFA, Fashion Design
Pratt Institute · Minor, Art History
Continuing Study
Christie's Education · NYU · Fordham Law · LCF
Board Chair
Costume Society of America
Member
International Trademark Association
Instructor
Academy of Art University
07Questions
Answers, before you ask.
Handbags, watches, fine jewelry, sneakers and streetwear, and designer ready-to-wear and couture — across contemporary, vintage and archive pieces.
08Contact
Let's talk about your piece.
Authentication, appraisal, advisory, expert testimony or a speaking engagement — share a few details and Graham's office will respond personally.