(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.