American Gem Society Laboratories Archives

April Birthstone: Diamond

March 25, 2016

By Anna Samsonova, CGA, Ben Bridge Jewelers “Diamonds ARE a girl’s best friend,” especially if you were born in April! Since the beginning of time, diamonds have been associated with strength, love and purity. They are symbols of eternal love and great status. Many of us know of famous diamonds and their stories, from the infamous Hope Diamond to the Koh-i-Noor Diamond (both diamonds reputedly hold a curse to those who own or wear them). Most people think of diamonds as clear gemstones, and they can indeed be quite clear, but diamonds can also be quite colorful. Diamond colors range

The Benefits of Jewelry Appraisals

July 10, 2015

By Phillip Bosen, CGA and Director of Business Development at Von Bargen’s JewelryA critical step in protecting and preserving the value of your jewelry is getting an updated appraisal on a regular basis. In fact, if the most recent appraisal of your jewelry took place five or more years ago, it’s time to get a new appraisal.You may be asking what a jewelry appraisal does for you. The obvious answer is that an appraisal sets a value for your jewelry. And with today’s roller-coaster values for gold, platinum, silver and gemstones, knowing what your jewelry is worth can save you heartache

It’s Okay to Get an "F" in Diamond Color

June 19, 2015

By John Carter, CGA, CEO & President of Jack Lewis Jewelers Choosing the diamond that is right for you means that you need to become a Jedi Master with the answers to these two questions: What area(s) should I spend money on? And more importantly: In what area(s) should I save money without it being obvious that I did so? Ok. So, there you go. I’ve summed up this whole frustrating process with two questions. Now, go out there and make the right choice! Not really that simple, I know. If it was, I wouldn’t have a job. Understanding those questions

Graduation Gifts!

May 22, 2015

By Amanda L Colborn Time sure does fly, right? Perhaps you’ve been dreading it…or maybe you’re looking forward to this new chapter of your loved ones’ life. Whether you’re ready for it or not, your favorite graduate is going to be walking down that aisle and accepting that diploma or degree that they’ve worked so hard for. Witnessing this significant step in your loved ones’ life will likely bring some tears to your eyes. But have no fear, you can return the favor when you gift them an amazing piece of jewelry, as a congratulatory token of your love, during this most momentous of times. This is

Happy Birthday April! It's your time to shine!

April 2, 2015

By Amanda L Colborn At the American Gem Society and especially in AGS Laboratories, we look forward to April all year long! With the diamond being April’s birthstone, it’s yet another opportunity to celebrate our favorite things: bright, shiny diamonds! Don’t get us wrong, all other months and their birthstones are just as special! However, being part of an organization that offers you the highest quality diamond grading reports…we do have a special soft spot for diamonds. History of the Diamond as the April Birthstone Diamonds are a thing of beauty and the ultimate gift for a loved one. Thought to

The AGS Perfect Proposal Toolkit! Everything you need this Valentine's Day

February 6, 2015

By: Amanda L. Colborn Ahhh…..Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air. Everyone is getting excited. Excited about spending time with their loved one. The dates. The surprises. The perfect time to propose! Maybe you’re on the opposite end, you’re the one trying to plan the proposal. But where do you even start? There are so many things to consider! When is the right moment? Where should I propose? Do I want other people around me or just the two of us? And of course, what will the answer be?! You can rest assured, The American Gem Society is here to make

So fancy!

January 16, 2015

By Alethea Inns, CG Did you know that diamonds aren’t just round? They are cut in all shapes and styles to suit any personality or occasion. With diamonds, a “fancy shape” is anything other than a round. Usually, the rough diamond crystal is shaped as an octahedron – a three-dimensional shape with eight faces, much like two pyramids stuck together at their base. When the diamond crystal isn’t the typical octahedron because of how it was formed in the earth or transported to the surface, diamonds are cut into fancy shapes to get maximum yield from the crystal. Fancy shapes

How do you sparkle?

October 24, 2014

By Amanda L. Colborn How do you sparkle? You’re likely familiar with the 4 C’s of Diamonds: Cut, Clarity, Color and Carat – however, there is another very important aspect of diamonds to keep top of mind: Sparkle! Sparkle, or Scintillation as it is also known, is the play of white and colored flashes of light seen when the diamond is viewed in motion. Viewable with the naked eye, sparkle is the life of the diamond. Sparkle does have two different aspects, flash scintillation and fire scintillation. Flash Flash scintillation is the dynamic pattern of white sparkles observed across a

Proposals Gone Wild

February 15, 2014

Fact: We are in the middle of Proposal Season. It starts at the beginning of February and runs through March 20th, which happens to be National Proposal Day. The things you learn from blogs, right? Being a non-profit in the jewelry industry, the American Gem Society has learned a thing or two from our members about marriage proposals. We watch their social media pages and see the stories they share from their own clients. Some proposals are romantic and heart-felt, some are silly, and sadly, sometimes a proposal will fail. It was the latter class of proposals where we felt

Garnet in Many Shades

January 3, 2014

By Anna Samsonova, CGA, Ben Bridge Jeweler This January birthstone has a deep history and comes in many colors. Although birthstones have now been established and represent the 12 months of the year, this wasn’t always the case. Birthstones were first associated with Aaron’s (Exodus) breastplate, and believed to be for the 12 zodiac signs. In modern times, most people only associate with their own birthstone, throughout history it was believed to be lucky to wear the birthstone for each month. Currently, the accepted zodiac and monthly birthstones are different, and some months are even lucky to have options! We

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