Since1910.com is a proud member of The American Gem Society.
The American Gem Society members are knowledgeable and credentialed experts in gems and jewelry who adhere to the highest ethical and professional standards. When you deal with a jewelry store that is a member of the American Gem Society, you can be assured you are buying quality gems from certified diamond and gemstone experts.
What is The American Gem Society?
The American Gem Society is the organization that dedicates itself to making and following the best possible standards as far as ethics in business and to have total professional behavior in the jewelry industry. Robert M. Shipley (founder of the GIA) and a few other independent jewelers started the AGS in 1934. Almost 75 years later, the members of the American Gem Society continue to strive to protect consumers, promote the highest ethics, and to expand knowledge.
Credentials of a Store to Receive AGS Acceptance and Membership
The American Gem Society is extremely selective whom they allow to be members. Of all the jewelry stores that apply for admittance, only a select few are approved for membership. Once approved, members must adhere to the AGS code of conduct, which includes:
The business owners, managers and even the employees are required to have an extreme amount of gemological knowledge. They need to have completed either a graduate or an accredited program from either the GIA or the Gemological Association of Great Britain.
The business must have the utmost of integrity when it comes to the business community and must always operate in a manner that helps the public have confidence in the jewelry industry.
The business owners and managers should always show that they have a genuine concern about quality business ethics and that the business is an example of this.
The business has to be a wholesale or retail jewelry business that has been established for a period of 2 years or longer and has proven financial stability.
Certified Professionals
The professionals need to have completed either a graduate or an accredited program from either the GIA (Gemology Institute of America) or the Gemological Association of Great Britain.
Ethics and Value
In order to guarantee that its' members actually practice the highest degree of business ethics, the American Gem Society does not allow certain practices business wise, including:
Untruthful, misleading advertising
Setting or advertising an artificial regular price that is high just for the purpose of then placing the item on sale or giving some kind of discount.
Calling it a wholesaler only to sell to retail customers.
Using bait and switch to try to get the customer to purchase a more expensive article in place of the lower priced object that they requested.
Failure to advertise using the guidelines set down by the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.
*All members that violate the listed ethic codes will be investigated and probably expelled.
Being a member of The American Gem Society is an honor and a privilege. At Since1910.com, we are proud of our membership to the AGS and what the AGS stands for.
Learn more about The American Gem Society at the AGS Website 