(Press Release) — In 1966, the American Gem Society (AGS) launched the AGS Diamond Grading Standards Manual to its membership. The standards outlined a methodology used to grade diamonds, as it was the first published manual that included a grading system for all 4Cs, including Cut.
The AGS Diamond Grading Standards Manual was the result of 10 years of planning and research by a committee of retailers, diamond cutters and gemologists. Published to support the AGS mission of consumer protection, the AGS Diamond Grading Standards Manual protected the fine jewelry consumer by clarifying certain aspects of diamond quality and value. The standards served as a tool for the jeweler to use at the sales counter, which in turn gave AGS jewelers a means to clearly communicate the qualities of a diamond and build a more trusting relationship with their customers.
“The Manual also made it easier for consumers to understand a diamond’s grade because it included the AGS 0 to 10 grading scale,” says Jason Quick, laboratory director of AGS Laboratories. “Today, the standards remain a proud part of AGS’s history. They have evolved over the years and were advanced with the ground-breaking AGS Light Performance Cut Grade. Fifty years later, jewelers can better explain diamond beauty in ways that the jewelry buyer can easily understand.”
The anniversary of the Diamond Grading Standards coincides with another milestone: the 20th anniversary of the AGS Laboratories. In 1996, AGS leadership recognized a need in the jewelry industry for a diamond-grading laboratory that shared its mission of consumer protection and provided the AGS Cut Grade. Twenty years later, AGS Laboratories is the only non-profit diamond grading laboratory with that mission. In the past two decades, AGS Laboratories’ has developed a reputation for providing diamond grading reports that offer consistency and accuracy based on science.
For more information about AGS Laboratories and its products and services, visit agslabs.com.
Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration
After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years."
Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations.
The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.
