AGS Laboratories Announces the Release of Emerald Cut Grade

June 20, 2006. The American Gem Society Laboratories announced today they would begin issuing the Diamond QualityTM Document for the new American Gem Society (AGS) Performance-based Cut Grade system on several shapes for the emerald cut beginning in the next few months. This is the industry's first cut grade for the emerald cut.

The AGS Gemological Sciences Committee approved the AGS Performance Cut Grading System for three new shapes: square emerald cut, rectangular emerald cut and an octagon step cut.

"The emerald cut is very popular with consumers," says Peter Yantzer, Executive Director of AGS Laboratories. "We're excited that this is the next fancy shape cut grade that we are offering, and believe it will increase sales at the counter."

"Consumers will reap the biggest benefit from the addition of the emerald shape to the AGS cut-grade system. The entire AGS grading system is designed for the protection of the diamond-buying public, which continues to be at the heart of the AGS mission," says Ruth Batson, Chief Executive Officer of the American Gem Society.

In 2005, AGS released their Performance-based Cut Grading System for both the round brilliant and the princess — the first-ever cut grading system for a fancy shaped diamond.

The science supporting the Performance-based Cut Grade System reflects AGS's transition from a proportion-based to a performance-based cut grade system, where all facets of a diamond are measured in three dimensions rather than two dimensions. The Lab uses state-of-the-art ray tracing software to trace light traveling through a diamond. The software demonstrates the quantity and quality of the light being returned to the viewer. AGS Laboratories considers brightness, dispersion, leakage, contrast, and weight ratio, in addition to proportion, symmetry, and polish, when assigning a final cut grade.

"The methodology we are using can be applied to all fancy shapes and facet arrangement as research continues," adds Yantzer. "As soon as the emerald is released, another new shape won't be long behind."

For more information on the AGS performance-based system, please visit www.agslab.com or email marketing@agslab.com.

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