June 12, 2008
Las Vegas—A group of gemological experts from around the world are putting their heads together to establish international technical standards for diamond grading.
The Accredited Gemologists Association (AGA) launched this initiative during a meeting held in late May at the Platinum Hotel and Spa in Las Vegas, during the JCK show.
Meeting attendees included laboratory leaders such as Don Palmieri from the Gem Certification and Assurance Laboratory (GCAL), Peter Yantzer from the American Gem Society, Lore Kiefert from the American Gem Trade Association and Nick Del Re and Branko Deljanin from the European Gemological Laboratory (EGL).
According to a news release, the formation of this task force is a response to consumer dissatisfaction with inconsistent grades and, specifically, a concern that procedures used to color-grade fluorescent diamonds result in misleading and inaccurate grades.
As a starting point, meeting participants agreed on the formation of a Task Force on Lighting and Gemstone Grading, chaired by Chuck Bauer of Dazor Lighting.