The American Gem Society (AGS) is a

trade association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry. An industry trade association partic ...

of retail jewelers, independent appraisers, suppliers, and selective industry members, which was founded in 1934 by Robert M. Shipley. The Society is based in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, along with the affiliated American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL) (founded in 1996) and the American Gem Society Advanced Instruments Division (founded in 2004). The Society trains and certifies

jeweler A bench jeweler is an artisan who uses a combination of skills to make and repair jewelry. Some of the more common skills that a bench jeweler might employ include antique restoration, silversmith, Goldsmith, stone setting, engraving, fabrica ...

s, gemologists, and jewelry appraisers.

Diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...

grading is a specialty of the American Gem Society Laboratories and the Society has developed its own

cut Cut may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely-directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** Cut (ea ...

color Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are assoc ...

, and

clarity Clarity may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Clarity, a magic spell in the online game ''EverQuest'' * Clarity, a fictional drug from the film '' Minority Report'' Music Albums * ''Clarity'' (Jimmy Eat World album) ...

standards.

History

The AGS was created by Robert M. Shipley. During the 1920s, Shipley was operating quite successfully as a jeweler. However, despite his years in the industry, his lack of expertise regarding gems and jewelry was revealed to him by a pair of his best customers. Humbled by this revelation, Shipley realized that this was a big problem among American jewelers, one which likely accounted for much of the public's distrust for the profession at the time. Shipley lost his jewelry stores in a divorce and went to Europe, where he completed the Great Britain National Association of Goldsmiths gemological correspondence course. He brought his newfound expertise back to Los Angeles, where he founded his own preliminary course in gemology on September 16, 1930. For the next few years he worked to promote the need for gemological education and train a new breed of "certified" jewelers. These jewelers would form the foundation of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and later the AGS. In its history, the AGS has achieved significant accomplishments within the field of gemology and jewelry.
Among these are the following: *Invented the industry's first scientifically reviewed, objective, and repeatable Cut Grade method. *Created the Ideal Cut Grade for Round Brilliant shaped diamonds, often known as the AGS Ideal or the Triple Zero Cut. *Offered the industry's first diamond grading reports with a Cut Grade for Princess, Emerald, Oval, and other fancy diamond shapes.

Laboratory services

A big part of the AGS operation comes in the form of AGS Laboratories, which offers laboratory services to members of the jewelry industry. Primary among these are their diamond grading services. Jewelers are able to have their diamonds scientifically evaluated according to the Four Cs: Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat Weight. They are then given a diamond grading report, which can be provided to a consumer in order to verify the quality of the diamond they are purchasing. Additionally, AGS Laboratories offers laser inscription services. Through the use of a microlaser beam, the laboratory can inscribe a diamond with a serial number, a company logo, or other text on the stone. This service does not affect the quality of the diamond, and is generally performed on the girdle where it can only be viewed with a magnification device.

References

External links

American Gem Society websiteAGS Laboratories websiteAGS Advanced Instruments Division website
{{Authority control Gemological laboratories Professional associations based in the United States