September 2008:

September 4, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AMERICAN GEM SOCIETY EXPEDITES DIAMOND CERTIFICATION

Certificate Allows American Gem Society Jewelers to Guarantee Diamond Quality

LAS VEGAS – The American Gem Society announced today that purchasing the industry’s premier diamond certificate just got a little easier – and faster.

The Diamond Quality™ Certificate (DQC), which pairs with AGS Laboratories’ flagship Diamond Quality™ Document (DQD), allows jewelers to sign and personally guarantee a diamond’s quality.

Previously, American Gem Society members had to request a DQC upfront when sending a diamond in for grading, or resubmit the diamond later. Now, unless customers would like to purchase additional laser inscriptions, all they need to do is call.

“If you’d like to supplement your Diamond Quality Document with a Certificate, simply call AGS Laboratories™ and request it,” says Ruth Batson, executive director and CEO of the American Gem Society. “We’ve already captured much of the information that’s unique to a DQC, so we can get it back to you on the sales floor much faster.”

The DQC, which was introduced in April 2007, contains features that complement the grading and identification information on the DQD. With the purchase of a Certificate, customers will receive all the information present on the DQD, up to two laser inscriptions on the diamond’s girdle, an image of the inscriptions, a light performance map, and a place for the jeweler’s own signature – which he or she must sign in the presence of the customer. The price of adding the Certificate to the DQD has been reduced due to increased efficiencies in the laboratory.

“The beauty of this is that it really, truly certifies a diamond,” says Frank Ragsdale, owner of Jolly’s Jewelers and Silversmiths. He has provided customers with DQCs in his Raleigh, North Carolina store since the Certificates were introduced last spring.

“It’s got the backing of a respected, third-party, independent laboratory and of an AGS jeweler, who is taking personal and corporate responsibility by verifying the diamond’s quality,” says Ragsdale, a Registered Jeweler and Certified Gemologist for nearly 40 years. “I also offer a money-back guarantee. Our customers appreciate that. It makes sense to them.”

The Certificates’ standards are high: they can only be signed by American Gem Society titleholders, and are not available for diamonds sold over the Internet. Consumers may register the DQC, which contains a foil stamp and hologram to protect its authenticity, with the American Gem Society after their purchase.

Mark Moeller, president of the American Gem Society and owner of Minnesota’s R.F. Moeller Jeweler, says the Certificates have helped his store distinguish itself from the competition – and increase diamond profits.

“Show your client a beautiful diamond, show them the benefits of confirming the beauty of that diamond with a grading report that is only available to American Gem Society jewelers, and I guarantee the margins on your diamonds will increase,” he says. Batson says the DQC is one more way for the Society to provide value to its members. "We want to help them build powerful, accountable, and long-term relationships with their customers,” she says.

For more information on the Diamond Quality Certificate, contact AGS Laboratories at 702.233.6120.

The American Gem Society, founded in 1934 by Robert M. Shipley, is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to proven ethics, knowledge, and consumer protection within the jewelry industry. The American Gem Society is the international professional organization awarding credentials of Registered Jeweler (RJ), Certified Gemologist (CG), Certified Gemologist Appraiser (CGA), and Independent Certified Gemologist Appraiser (ICGA). Members are held to the highest ethical and professional standards in the industry and must pass annual recertification examinations to maintain their American Gem Society titles. Less than five percent of jewelers in the country have met the exacting requirements necessary for membership.

For more information regarding the American Gem Society, please call 866.805.6500, or visit their Web site at www.americangemsociety.org.