About the AGS

The American Gem Society

Buchkosky Jewelers is a member of the American Gem Society (AGS). The AGS is the jewelry industry's leading organization, dedicated to high standards of education in gemology, as well as ethical standards for business.

The AGS was founded in 1934 by jewelers who wanted to protect the jewelry consumer from fraud and unethical buiness practices. The organization became a leader in the development of gemological research and knowledge, a position it proudly holds to this day.
 
Membership in the AGS requires members to comply with stringent criteria for doing business. Less than five percent of jewelers in the United States belong to the AGS. In choosing to conduct business with Buchkosky Jewelers, you can be assured of a high degree of professionalism, ethics, and knowledge.

AGS Ethical Pratices.

The following is a summary of the ethical code AGS members abide by.

In order to maintain membership, jewelers in the American Gem Society agree to:

• Provide full disclosure of all facts pertaining to the products they sell.
• Never intentionally deceive their employees, consumers, vendors, or business partners.
• Compete fairly and never speak unprofessionally about their competitors. Likewise, encourage their colleagues in the jewelry industry to embrace these principals.
• Resolve any customer complaints relating to the sale of a product.
• Not sell conflict diamonds. AGS jewelers must make every effort to fully comply with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and the World Diamond Council System of Warranties.
• Continue their gemological and jewelry education, always improving their knowledge and keeping up with trends in jewelry and ethical business practices.
• Adhere to anti-money laundering (AML) program, which is designed to comply with the USA Patriot Act.

Under the guidelines for “Social and Human Rights Practices,” AGS jewelers are required to respect the fundamental human rights of all their employees, business partners, and, of course, their customers. They must adhere to all applicable laws related to work hours and compensation and they must conduct business in an environmentally responsible manner.

Certifed Gemologist Appraiser

Awarded by the AGS, the Certified Gemologist Appraiser title is the most highly regarded jewelry appraising title in the industry. Earning the CGA title requires advanced training and experience in determining the value of gemstones and jewelry.
 
CGA titleholders must also pass annual recertification exams to maintain this prestigious title.
 
Buchkosky Jewelers has on staff two CGA's who are ready to assist you in your appraisal needs.

American Gem Society Laboratories

The AGS founded their laboratory with a different mission than the GIA and other grading labs. Where the GIA was princinpally conceived to serve the manufacturers and retailers, the AGS founded the AGS Laboratory (AGSL) to serve the consumer. The AGS with consumer protection as a formative tenet, developed it's diamond grading system (particularly it's cut grading system) with ease of understanding in mind; it's grades for cut, color, clarity are a simple 0-10 number scale. Furthermore the lab has made significant achievements in the field of gemology:

• Pioneered the Ideal Cut Grade for the Round Brilliant diamond. (You may also hear it called the AGS Ideal or the Triple Zero Cut.)
• Created the first scientifically reviewed, objective, and repeatable Cut Grade method in the industry — still the only of its kind.
• Became the first major lab to offer diamond grading reports with a Cut Grade for fancy shapes, including Princess, Emerald, and Oval, as well as patented proprietary cuts.
• Offer diamond grading reports that have a simple, straightforward, and intuitive scale and provide all the information you need to be comfortable in your diamond-buying decision.
• Provide a variety of diamond grading reports, both with and without a diamond Cut Grade, to suit the specific needs of diamond manufacturers, retail jewelers, and the consumer.