Background-info from Antwerp on GIA and AGS

[Paul-Antwerp]

Yesterday, I met a fellow diamond cutter, much more important than myself, as he is a sightholder with a huge production. He talked to me about his problems with AGS and GIA.

He used to send most of his stones to GIA, but with the new cut-grading-system of AGS, his customer now demanded an AGS-report. Now, he is very unhappy. All of his goods were Ideal on Cut with AGS, so no problem there. But about 30% of the stones received either a colour or a clarity-grade lower than the GIA-grade (these stones were previously graded by GIA).

I understand the background of the problem as such. His customer used to sell the GIA EX-EX stones, with an attached Sarin-measurement of the old AGS-system, saying that the stone is Ideal according to the old AGS-system. With the new AGS-system, the dealer cannot use the Sarin anymore to claim that the stone is Ideal according to AGS, thus he needs a true AGS-report. But with either a colour or a clarity lower, there is a huge problem for the dealer and the cutter. How are they going to attack this?

I hope that you enjoy this true story as much as I do.

Live long,

 

[Rank Amateur]

All you can do is to give the people what they want. The market trumps all. If they demand an AGS report, so be it.

If you got both reports and they gave two different grades you''d be in quite a pickle.

My heart goes out to him! [$$)]

 

[strmrdr]

waaahhhhhh
spilled milk.
Provide what the customers want or go out of business.

Considering by some accounts that GIA has got softer on clarity grading over the years and uses the wrong lighting for color grading I say GO AGS!!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Surely this is just 1 small niche of this guys business Paul?

 

[strmrdr]

another reason I dont feel sorry for him is that I bet he knew about the softer grades from GIA which is why he did that in the first place.
Claiming it was just as good when he knew it might or might not be the case to make more $$$.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 7/6/2005 7:03:53 AM
Author:Paul-Antwerp

I hope that you enjoy this true story as much as I do.

Interesting allright, but enjoyable perhaps not... after all, a few good people got into an unpleasant situation there.

In theory, I should be able to understand these things, but it isnot easy to guess what is going on from adistance.

Surely it is tempting to give it a try, as usual:

Could it be that AGS intends that his new cut branding is as valuable as one grade of color/clarity against GIA labeled stones and expects his customers to enforce this over the counter ? This would be relatively understandable: casting a bit of doubt over GIA's strictness on the kind of grading it still is the ultimate refference for can't hurt much and just a few puzzles like this would be sufficient.

Perhaps AGS also wants to avoid bootleg double certification becomming a habit... But with such harsh measures, it better be that AGS cut grades catch fast for those fancies and GIA keeps theirs off for long enough. Comming from a relatively small, elitist operation (AGS), harshness appears defensive.

What is going on with GIA's cut grades anyway ?