(PRESS RELEASE) CARLSBAD, CA and LAS VEGAS, NV — The American Gem Society (AGS) and GIA (Gemological Institute of America) will dramatically advance their long-standing collaboration in pursuit of their shared shopper safety missions. GIA will create an endowment to assist AGS and its membership by means of schooling and credentialing, furthering the Society’s efforts to develop the subsequent generations of educated, moral skilled jewelers and trade leaders. The sibling nonprofit organizations, each based by Robert M. and Beatrice Shipley within the Nineteen Thirties, will mix their gemological analysis efforts, integrating AGS Laboratories’ distinctive experience, mental property and expertise to develop new GIA services and products to guard customers and assist the commerce.

“This consequential settlement brings AGS and GIA even nearer, driving our future with 90 years of shared historical past and elevating our founders’ imaginative and prescient,” stated AGS CEO Katherine Bodoh. “AGS and GIA every have their distinctive perspective and experience, and a steadfast deal with advancing ethics, requirements and schooling within the gem and jewellery trade.”

“By harnessing one another’s strengths to maneuver ahead boldly, customers shall be higher protected and we are going to make sure the longevity of the Shipleys’ imaginative and prescient,” stated GIA President and CEO Susan Jacques. “I want to thank the AGS Worldwide Board of Administrators and the GIA Board of Governors for supporting this new section within the shut relationship between our two organizations.”

The strategic collaboration between GIA and AGS will assist advance the Society’s retailer applications and assist extra member schooling on the annual AGS Conclave and all year long. “With this thrilling development, AGS will deal with our core mission and actions, enhancing advantages and companies to ship elevated worth to our members and their prospects as our trade evolves,” stated Bodoh.

The AGS Laboratories analysis workers, mental property, expertise and Las Vegas facility will combine into GIA. The mixed analysis workforce will develop modern services and products to enhance how customers and the commerce perceive and recognize diamonds, together with gentle efficiency analysis and a science-based fancy lower grade commonplace.

Recognizing the numerous contributions of AGS Laboratories to the trade and shopper belief, the AGS Very best Report shall be out there from GIA as a digital-only complement to GIA diamond reviews for eligible D-to-Z pure and laboratory-grown spherical sensible and fancy form diamonds. The AGS Very best Report complement can have an extra price of US$25. GIA shoppers will be capable of request the supplemental reviews starting in January 2023. Additional particulars concerning the supplemental AGS Very best Report from GIA shall be out there quickly.

Commercial

AGS Laboratories will proceed to supply companies till the top of 2022. AGS Laboratories will contact shoppers with particulars of the transition.

AGS and GIA will work intently collectively to reimagine and prolong the Shipleys’ imaginative and prescient. This vital subsequent chapter within the storied historical past of AGS and GIA will strengthen the organizations’ collective effort to satisfy the complexities of a dynamic and altering trade, making certain relevance for as we speak’s world and enterprise surroundings whereas upholding the organizations’ joint shopper safety missions and independence.