An Interview with John Carter, CGA, Chair of the AGS Laboratories Advisory Committee
The new AGS Ideal® Report brought to you by GIA marks a milestone in our history. Retailers now have the unparalleled AGS Light Performance, backed by the rigorous science of GIA’s diamond grading reports in one convenient suite of documents. Consumers now have additional knowledge about a diamond to purchase it with confidence.
At a price tag of only US$25 for the supplemental digital report, the AGS Ideal® Report is a great way to add value to your sales presentation and give your customers added confidence about the quality and performance of their diamonds.
The AGS Ideal® Report is available now! We spoke to John Carter, CGA, with Jack Lewis Jewelers to get his thoughts on how he will incorporate the AGS Ideal® Report into his business.
John Carter, CGA, Jack Lewis Jewelers
As someone who provided input into the creation of the AGS Ideal® Report, how do you describe the features?
The supplemental AGS Ideal® Report features a Light Performance grade and optional AGS ASET®, which complements the GIA Excellent Cut Grade by illustrating the light performance of the diamond. To be eligible for the AGS Ideal® Report, round brilliant diamonds must have a GIA Excellent Cut, Polish and Symmetry Grade, and fancy shapes must receive Excellent Polish and Symmetry. It’s important to note that this is a digital report, too.
What shapes are available?
The new report will be available for round brilliant, cushion, oval, emerald, radiant, princess, and fancy round diamonds. Not all facet arrangements for fancy-cut diamonds qualify for an AGS Ideal® Report. Only specific facet arrangements within the shapes I just mentioned are eligible at this time.
The AGS Ideal® Report will be an addendum to GIA’s 4Cs reports. The fact that consumers now have the AGS Light Performance System and GIA’s renowned grading together in one suite is significant. How do you convey this to your customers?
My approach is pretty straightforward and simple: discuss each organization’s strengths and, if the client is interested, their history (i.e., both were founded by Robert M. Shipley, who had a vision of professionalizing the jewelry industry). I explain that this report is special because it combines GIA’s dedication to the 4Cs with our efforts to explain light performance, and they (the client) now have the best of both worlds.
For example, I might say, “For many years, both GIA and AGS have been considered the two finest diamond grading institutions in the world. GIA set the standard for grading color and clarity, and AGS was the first to talk about light performance and cut grade. Now you can have a report that combines both philosophies and expertise.”
What advice do you have for other store owners so that they can explain how AGS Laboratories and GIA integrating their research teams benefits the consumer?
I encourage store owners to tell their team something like, “After years of building a niche-focused lab that dedicated nearly all of its attention and resources on cut grade and light performance, AGS decided it was time for GIA to take the AGS Light Performance to the next level. The Lab was created for one purpose: to advance the mission of our Society. Sure, on the surface, it was created to talk about cut grade since nobody else in the trade was doing it at the time. This is because it was necessary information that the consumer was unaware of (and needed to make an educated decision).
“Now, 27 years later, we’ve accomplished much of that mission. GIA has the resources to allow this technology to be shared with the world. Offering diamond buyers from across the globe our standards is consumer protection on an entirely different level than we could ever expect to achieve on our own.”
You have created your own diamond brands utilizing AGS Laboratories grading reports. What will you do with those brands?
This is an exciting opportunity to utilize brands from both organizations. There is power in AGS and GIA messaging to tell a new and compelling story.
What advice do you have for anyone interested in the AGS Ideal® Report?
Try it! It can only help your sales. The AGS Ideal® Report brought to you by GIA is now available. Please email GIA at [email protected] for more information.
