what does it mean when a store has an AGS accredited lab..

[llcoooooljay]

im gonna get my RB diamond appraised through a store in westwood,ca. sarah leonards. on their website it says they have a AGS accredited lab. can i trust their lab even though they sell their own diamonds and jewelry there? doesnt that seem like conflicting interests?? just a thought. let me know if i should go there. they''re charging me 75 usd, i think thats a good price.

thanks all.

jason

 

[swingirl]

Do you have a link to their website?

 

[neatfreak]

IMO it is a conflict of interest to have your stone appraised at any place that sells jewelry. I would recommend you find an appraiser who doesn''t sell anything except appraisals.

 

[denverappraiser]

AGS is the American Gem Society. This is a network of retail jewelry stores who have all agreed to a certain set of standards in terms of advertising, ethics and, to a certain extent even décor. Last I looked I think there were about 5000 member stores. They also have other categories of members including Independent appraisers (currently there are 14).

One of the things done by most jewelry stores, including most AGS jewelers, is offer appraisal services and AGS offers a certain amount training to members in how to do this as well as a minimum set of standards for equipment. Meeting this minimum equipment standard along with at least one staff member who has met the minimum training standards entitles a member store to describe their tools as an ‘AGS accredited lab’ and that appraiser as a ‘Certified Gemologist Appraiser’. I don’t know how many of these are out there but I would guess that most AGS retailers will qualify.

AGS are partners in and share a campus with a laboratory called the AGS Laboratory aka AGSL or sometimes just AGS. That’s what leads to the confusion. When people refer to an ‘AGS certificate’ they are referring to a report from AGSL, which is an entirely different thing from a report from an AGS member appraiser.

Whether your chosen appraiser is appropriate for the assignment you have in mind will depend on both the appraiser and the assignment. There ARE qualified appraisers working within jewelry stores. The bar to become a CGA and the minimum equipment required for an AGS accredited lab are pretty easy to meet but it’s a good sign that they did meet them. Most jewelry store ‘appraisers’ don’t even do that. The conflict of interest is definitely present but how important this is will depend on the integrity of the appraiser and that’s something you’ll have to decide yourself. As a group, the AGS stores are well regarded and reputable and I would take it as a good sign for an appraiser to be associated with one.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[llcoooooljay]

here''s a link to sarah leonard''s in westwood ca.

http://www.sarahleonardjewelers.com/

lemme know what you think