Color Market Reports

Save E-mail Print Most Popular RSS Reprints

AGL announces grading report alterations

October 27, 2009
Changes to terminology used to describe rubies in reports were among the issues discussed a recent meeting held at the American Gemological Laboratory in New York. Photo courtesy American Gemological Laboratory.

New York--The American Gemological Laboratory (AGL) announced a number of alterations and additions to its operations at a recent meeting designed to put to rest any rumors that the lab is struggling.

Held on Oct. 22 at the lab's headquarters in New York City's Diamond District and attended by the lab's entire six-member team, the meeting comes in the wake of an up-and-down year for the colored gemstone-grading laboratory.

The lab was shut down for a time earlier this year after former owner Collectors Universe, a public company, opted to exit the gem-grading business.

However, former AGL Vice President and Chief Gemologist Chris Smith, who now serves as president of the lab, acquired the operation and reopened the AGL on April 1.

Among the changes discussed during the brief meeting was the lab's decision to use the term "heating residue" instead of "flux-type enhancement" to identify the treatment done to rubies in which the stones are heated to modify color and heal fissures.

"It puts us more in line with the terminology other labs are using," Smith said during the meeting.

In addition, the AGL has developed the term "composite ruby" to distinguish lead glass-treated rubies from regular heated rubies.

Also discussed at the meeting was the lab's use of the word "although" when describing country of origin in its reports; for example, "although this stone exhibits characteristics of stones found in Burma, we believe it to be from Sri Lanka." From now on, according to the presentation given at the meeting, the lab's reports will only mention country of origin if it has sufficient evidence to determine origin; there will be no "although" mentions.

Smith explained in a later interview with National Jeweler that the purpose of the changes is to make the lab's reports as understandable as possible.

"Any aspect of our report--could be identification, or enhancement, or treatment or grading--we're in the process of refining the terminology we use to bring better clarity and reduce confusion," he said.

The AGL will update reports to reflect these changes at no cost for any certificates issued since the lab's re-privatization on April 1.

In addition, the AGL announced during the meeting that:
  • It has acquired the rights to JewelFolio, the high-end, hardbound reports issued for stones such as Colombian emeralds and Kashmir sapphires once trademarked by the now-shuttered American Gem Trade Association Gemological Testing Center.
  • In increasing its collaboration with the Tanzanite Foundation (TF), the AGL has finalized an agreement to include the TF color-grading information on all of its tanzanite reports.
  • It has acquired a Renishaw Raman spectrometer and additional portable analytical equipment to further support laboratory and identification services.
  • The AGL held its first off-premise testing (OPT) in Hong Kong this past September and plans to hold OPT sessions in Thailand and Sri Lanka in the next several months and in Tucson and Las Vegas during the gem and jewelry shows next year.
Save E-mail Print Most Popular RSS Reprints
Post a Comment
* Required field
* Author:
* Comment:
 

More Color Market Reports

Richard Hughes
Ruby, sapphire expert Hughes wins Bonanno award

Richard W. Hughes, known for his adventure-laden travelogues, his writings on undisclosed gemstone treatments and as the author of Ruby and Sapphire, has won the 2010 Antonio C. Bonanno Award For Excellence in Gemology, the Accredited Gemologists Association has announced. Read More

Scientists hail queen conch's cultured pearls
GMA calls out dept. stores on composite rubies
Price is right for pearls this holiday
GIA Career Search Engine features 300-plus jobs
More Color Market Reports

More Like This

Design Portfolio

advertisement

Video

Small multi video player located on right rail of NJN site

advertisement

Sponsored by:

Retailer Toolbar

America's Best Jewelers
Join the ONLY Social Network for Jewelry Retailers. Get access to expert content, peer best practices, and more.
Start networking today.
Newsletters
Newsletters
Topic-specific newsletters that deliver the latest news on jewelry, diamonds, wholesale operations and high-volume buying directly to your in-box.
Reader Connect
ReaderConnect
Supplier information presented with every article, bringing you related, actionable content on every topic.
Jewelry Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages
A comprehensive listing of associations, organizations, suppliers and services for the jewelry industry.
Classifieds
Classifieds
A comprehensive listing of job postings, product offerings and other materials for sale for the jewelry industry.
NJN Customer Connect
CustomerConnect
The most sophisticated suite of marketing services available for jewelry retailers, from Internet tools to data marketing.

advertisement