Modifications to Prestige report formats

Modifications to Prestige report formats

 
NEW YORK:  28 November 2016 ― Following changes instituted during the development of a new wholly integrated computer system, American Gemological Laboratories (AGL) has modified some of the features present on its Prestige level full-page reports.
 
Enhancements Section: An integral part of every AGL Prestige report is the section that discloses the presence or absence of possible treatments. In 2009, AGL took an innovative approach towards addressing gemstone treatments by separating them into Standard and Additional enhancements. This was done to help clarify that some treatments are commonplace for certain varieties, while others are not, as well as to the compound nature of gemstone treatments today.
 
Further, there were three additional elements that addressed A) Degree, B) Type and C) Stability of the treatment, if present. Previously, when there was no treatment present or any of these three elements were not relevant to a particular treatment, a distinction of ‘N/A’ (not applicable) was placed next to the appropriate area. See examples of AGL reports prior to 28 November 2016.
 
Going forward, these additional elements of Degree, Type and Stability will only be present on a report when associated with a particular treatment. No longer will there be a need for the ‘N/A’ designation to be used. See examples of AGL starting as of 28 November 2016.
 
Examples prior to 28 November 2016:

Examples as of 28 November 2016:
 

“This change being made is based on comments from our clients,” indicated Christopher P. Smith, President of AGL. “They have expressed that it was on occasion confusing for their customers when they read the N/A or Not Applicable statements on our reports, so we expect that this change will make our reports clearer.”
 
Provenance Section: For certain gem varieties, the AGL also offers the service to determine a gem’s country-of-origin. For stones submitted for an origin determination, if two essential criterions were met, then an additional label of AGL Classic™ was added to the origin (e.g. AGL Classic™ Colombia). These conditions are:
 

  1. The origin determination is of a high confidence level

  2. A gemstone exhibiting the kind of superior quality that helped to earn a particular source its name and reputation in the industry.


Prior to 28 November 2016, the term AGL Classic™ was only applied to select and more historical sources of a given gem variety, such as Burma (Myanmar), Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Kashmir for sapphires and Colombia for emeralds and so on. This term was not utilized for all possible origins.
 
Going forward, the term AGL Classic™ may be applied to any source or origin for any gem variety where a country-of-origin determination may be requested, if the following conditions exist:
 

  1. The origin determination is of a high confidence level

  2. When the quality of a given gemstone is top gem-quality.

 
“The label of AGL Classic™ is used to distinguish a top, top gem.” Smith indicated. “Such superior-quality gems have the potential to come from any of the world’s gem sources, so we have made this change to acknowledge that it is not only the historical sources that are worthy of the AGL Classic™ designation.”
 

 
About American Gemological Laboratories
American Gemological Laboratories (AGL) is the United States’ most widely known and respected colored stone gem identification and quality-grading laboratory.  It was founded in 1977 and became the first gemological laboratory in the US to provide quality grading as well as country-of-origin determinations for colored stones. AGL has become an iconic brand for uncompromised standards and excellence in gemstone reporting (www.aglgemlab.com).
 
Contacts:                                            
Christopher P. Smith
President
agl@aglgemlab.com