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The Private Reserve
Ideal Cut Diamonds
In-Stock & Available:
Diamond Inventory
Ideal Cut
Classifications
AGS Ideal 0 Cut
AGS-000/Triple 0 defined
Eighternity
Diamonds
GIA Excellent / Ideal
Hearts & Arrows Ideals
Just Plain "Ideal"
The Ideal Differences
Fancy Shape Desc.
Asscher Cut Diamonds
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Private Reserve Terms:
Glossary of Terms
Inventory Introduction
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The AGS versus The GIA
Is there a difference in the accuracy of the labs?
In short, we don't really feel that there is.
In fact, we consider the two organizations to be kind of related. Here is some information that will help you become more
familiar with the two organizations:
The GIA was started in 1931 by Robert M. Shipley with the intention
of providing the diamond industry with an educational resource and grading
scale that could be used worldwide with consistency. The American Gem
Society (AGS) was started by Shipley a few years later in 1934
with the hope that the AGS would become a "cornerstone of
ethics" for our industry and for the purposes of providing consumer
protection. Together, the GIA and the AGS grew side-by-side as
"sister companies" to be the largest and most respected
impartial organizations within our industry. Most people in the
trade who are truly familiar with both organizations consider to them to
be one and the same because their educational programs and activities are
so intertwined.
Many people who attend the GIA to obtain their Graduate Gemologist (G.G.)
credentials further their education through courses offered by the AGS to
obtain their Certified Gemologist Appraiser (C.G.A.) credentials. To be
a member of the AGS you must complete certain gemological courses from the
GIA and you can not take the C.G.A. course until you have completed your
G.G. from the GIA... Hand in hand the sisters were, skipping merrily along
until Peter Yantzer, then Director of the GIA Laboratory decided to introduce
the concept of a proportions grade... That's when things got interesting
and the siblings drew a line down the center of their room.
Initially the GIA was reluctant to introduce a cut grade to their lab
reports, however they added a cut grade rating to their lab reports in
2006.
We use both the GIA and AGS diamond grading laboratories simultaneously
and with similar results. We have not found the GIA to be stricter
than the AGS and vice versa in terms of their grading practices and
accuracy. While most of the diamonds that we
represent are purchased while they are clearing the laboratories, the
reality is that when we do send diamonds to the laboratories for
independent grading our decision to use one laboratory over the other is
primarily dependent on the current work schedule of the laboratory and how
fast they will be able to grade our diamonds so that we may get them to
market.
Which lab report is right for you? Whichever set of initials is
going to help you sleep best at night, in our opinion both labs offer
comparable peace of mind.
May we help you find the diamond of your dreams?
Send us an email diamonds@niceice.com
and tell us what you are looking for.
Or give us a call at 206.319.8152 or Toll Free 877.844.5443
Copyright © 1996 - 2008 Nice Ice, Inc.
AGS®
is a registered trademark of the American Gem Society (702) 255-6500
GIA® is a registered trademark of the Gemological Institute of America
(760) 603-4000