Education

Through courses, classes, and continuing educational seminars, the American Gem Society member is better educated and prepared to meet the challenges of maintaining a prosperous business. In addition to providing course materials necessary to obtain titles and designations, the Education Department also provides continuing education topics to the jewelry industry at premier events such as the AGS International Conclave, the AGTA GemFair in Tucson, the JCK Show in Las Vegas, and the JA Show in New York.

In the words of our founder, Robert Shipley: “Both knowledge and ethics are necessary to protect the consumer because a knowledgeable gemologist, without ethics, can cheat the customer by misrepresentation while the most ethical jeweler can innocently mislead the customer because of lack of knowledge.”

The American Gem Society awards its individual members who qualify, the titles of Registered Jeweler, Registered Supplier, Certified Gemologist, Certified Gemologist Appraiser, and Independent Certified Gemologist Appraiser. The Society also provides education towards the credentials of Certified Sales Associate and Certified Jewelry Arts Professional. The Accredited Gem Lab certification can be achieved by the firm who maintains a professional gemological laboratory and employs either a Certified Gemologist or Certified Gemologist Appraiser.

At the Las Vegas campus of the AGS, we host a schedule of gemological classes taught by GIA instructors and Gem-A workshops and exams that are prerequisites to membership in and title from the American Gem Society.