AGS Laboratories

What AGS Laboratories does

AGS Laboratories is the laboratory division of the American Gem Society, a nonprofit trade association founded in 1934 and headquartered at 8881 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, Nevada. The organization is dedicated to consumer protection in the fine jewelry industry and operates with 101-250 employees, providing independent third-party diamond grading services, professional credentials and designations for jewelers, gemologists, appraisers, and sales associates, and educational programs covering diamond grading and gemology.

The organization's core technical asset is the proprietary AGS 0-10 Diamond Grading System, a numeric scale (0 = highest, 10 = lowest) that evaluates diamond quality across Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight. This methodology underpins AGS Laboratories' diamond grading reports and provides an alternative to the traditional D-Z letter-based color grading system. Supporting products include the Find a Jeweler consumer directory, the 4Cs diamond education resources, a comprehensive birthstone reference library, and the AGS Member Portal for credentialed professionals.

AGS makes money through four primary streams: business membership dues (Retail, Partner, and Emerging Designer tiers on annual billing), individual membership dues from credentialed and affiliate professionals, education and credentialing fees delivered via the AGS PRO education portal, and professional services revenue from diamond grading laboratory reports. Distribution is indirect, operating exclusively through a domestic U.S. member network of credentialed jewelers and gemologists rather than direct consumer sales. Engagement is driven through annual Conclave and Confluence events, monthly Discover AGS Zoom Q&A sessions, content marketing, and social media presence across Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Name

AGS Laboratories

Legal name

American Gem Society

Website

https://americangemsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

AGS Laboratories is the diamond grading lab division of the American Gem Society, a nonprofit trade association founded in 1934. It provides independent diamond grading reports, professional credentials, and education to U.S. jewelry retailers, gemologists, and consumers under its proprietary 0-10 grading system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gemological Laboratory Services

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Diamond Grading & Certification Laboratories (CRAKAJAG)

Keywords

• Diamond grading services
• Jewelry trade association
• Gemological certification
• Professional credentials
• Diamond education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Vegas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Business Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from retail jewelry businesses and partner business members that provide access to AGS resources, credentials, and member benefits.
2. Individual Membership Dues: Credentialed and non-credentialed affiliate membership fees for individual jewelry professionals seeking AGS credentials and professional development.
3. Education and Credentials: Revenue from professional education programs, credentialing courses, and certifications delivered through the AGS PRO education portal.
4. Diamond Grading Laboratory Services: Laboratory services for diamond grading reports and certification, providing independent third-party evaluation of diamond quality.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AGS Laboratories is the laboratory division of the American Gem Society, providing independent third-party diamond grading reports and certificates that evaluate Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight using its proprietary AGS 0-10 Diamond Grading System. Beyond grading services, it delivers professional credentials and designations for jewelry industry members, structured gemological education programs through the AGS PRO education portal, and consumer-facing tools including the Find a Jeweler directory and comprehensive birthstone reference resources.

Product overview

AGS Laboratories is the laboratory division of the American Gem Society, a nonprofit trade association dedicated to consumer protection in the fine jewelry industry. The organization offers a unified portfolio of products and services centered on its proprietary AGS Diamond Grading System (a 0-10 numeric scale) and laboratory grading reports. Supporting these core offerings are professional credentials and designations for jewelry industry professionals, comprehensive education programs covering gemology and diamond grading, and consumer-facing services including a Find a Jeweler directory and birthstone education resources. The organization operates as a trade association with its laboratory services as the primary technical differentiator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AGS Diamond Grading System: A 0-10 numerical diamond grading system where 0 is the highest grade, providing an alternative to the traditional D-Z color scale for evaluating diamond cut, color, clarity, and carat weight.
• Conclave
• Confluence

Products and services

• AGS Diamond Grading System Proprietary diamond quality assessment system using a 0-10 numeric scale (0 = highest, 10 = lowest) to evaluate cut, color, clarity, and carat weight of diamonds, providing an alternative to traditional letter-based grading for retailers and consumers.
• AGS Laboratories Diamond Grading Reports Independent, third-party laboratory grading reports evaluating diamond quality characteristics across the 4Cs, purchased by jewelry businesses and professionals to certify diamonds.
• American Gem Society Credentials & Designations Professional credentials and designations for individual jewelry industry members, including appraisers, sales associates, jewelers, designers, and gemologists seeking verifiable expertise recognition.
• AGS Education Programs Courses and educational resources covering gemology, diamond grading, and jewelry business practices for jewelry professionals and students pursuing credentials and continuing education.
• Find a Jeweler Directory Online directory service that connects consumers with credentialed AGS member jewelry stores for purchasing diamonds and fine jewelry, generating leads for member businesses.
• 4Cs Diamond Education Resources Educational content explaining the four Cs of diamond quality (Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat Weight) that helps consumers make informed jewelry purchasing decisions.
• Birthstone Information Service Reference content covering monthly birthstones including gemstone history, buying guides, and care instructions for 12 birthstone categories.

Quantifiable outcome

• Diamond grading using 0-10 scale provides more granular assessment than traditional letter grades

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Gemological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A): Gem-A is a UK-based gemological education and certification body offering the FGA and DGA credentials, directly comparable to AGS's professional credentials and gemology education programs.
• HRD Antwerp: HRD Antwerp is a European diamond grading laboratory and certification body headquartered in Antwerp, offering diamond reports and gemological education that overlap directly with AGS's lab and credentialing services.
• World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB): WFDB is the international federation of diamond bourses providing industry self-regulation, ethical standards, and member accreditation, broadly comparable to AGS's Code of Ethics and consumer protection role.
• International Gemological Institute (IGI): IGI is a major global diamond and gemstone grading laboratory with broad retail and lab-grown diamond grading services, directly competing with AGS Laboratories on grading reports for both natural and lab-grown diamonds.
• American Gem Trade Association (AGTA): AGTA is a US trade association for colored gemstones and cultured pearls, providing member accreditation, codes of ethics, and trade shows that overlap with AGS's trade association and consumer protection mission.
• Accredited Gemologists Association: The Accredited Gemologists Association is a smaller US-based professional credentialing body offering the Accredited Gemologist credential, directly comparable to AGS's professional designations and gemologist credentials.
• Gemological Institute of America (GIA): GIA is the dominant global diamond grading laboratory and gemological education provider, offering diamond reports, colored stone reports, and the GIA Graduate Gemologist credential — directly comparable to AGS's grading reports and credentials, and the primary competitive head-to-head for AGS.
• European Gemological Laboratory (EGL): EGL USA is a diamond grading laboratory offering reports for natural and treated diamonds, competing with AGS Laboratories on grading services, particularly in the US retail market.
• National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA): NAJA is a US professional association for jewelry appraisers offering the Certified Master Appraiser credential, closely comparable to AGS's appraiser credentials and designations.
• Jewelers of America: Jewelers of America is a US jewelry trade association providing business membership, education, and the JA Certified Jeweler credential — directly comparable to AGS's retail business membership, consumer trust signals, and credentialing programs.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/americangemsociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/americangemsociety1934
• Instagraminstagram.com/americangemsociety
• Pinterestpinterest.com/amergemsociety
• Xx.com/amergemsociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-gem-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AGS Laboratories