AGS, VERICHANNEL LAUNCH AGS DIAMOND SEARCH PLATFORM

(Las Vegas, Nevada) — The American Gem Society, in partnership with Verichannel, announced today the launch of a specialized search engine for diamonds graded by AGS Lab, available from AGS suppliers. The online service is integrated into the members-only section of the AGS website, and is also accessible to AGS members from the Verichannel platform itself. "AGS Diamond Search" consists of a database of stones uploaded by AGS suppliers, and also stones uploaded directly from the AGS Lab, immediately after being graded, based on permissions set by the supplier. They are searchable using standard criteria of color, clarity, shape, etc. AGS retailers contact suppliers directly to initiate a purchase.

"We're very pleased to be able to make this resource available as a member-benefit for AGS retailers and suppliers," said Ruth Batson, AGS Chief Executive Officer. It makes sense to give our retail store buyers the most convenient means possible of finding AGS stones from AGS suppliers, essentially all in one place, and right there at our website."

"We have already uploaded hundreds of stones into the AGS Diamond Search," said Charles Rosario, Senior Vice President of Lazare Kaplan International Inc., an AGS supplier. "Given that this is a very targeted and exclusive environment, it provides a means of reaching out to AGS stores directly and efficiently."

Verichannel created the concept of labs uploading diamonds online, immediately after being graded, when it launched its Daily Diamond Report service in January. "The same technology is being used for AGS Diamond Search," noted Jacques Voorhees, president of Verichannel. "In today's diamond market, buyers and sellers need to be able to communicate with each other as efficiently as possible, especially when it comes to finding the right diamond, and finding it quickly."

"At the AGS Lab, we provide a direct feed of freshly-graded diamonds to Verichannel's database, with authorization from suppliers," explained Peter Yantzer, Executive Director of Gemological Services for the AGS Lab. "These then instantly become part of the AGS Diamond Search system on the AGS website. It's the fastest way imaginable to get a stone to market."

"AGS Diamond Search will be a big time-saver," noted AGS retailer Tom Wright, of Wright's Jewelers, Lincoln, Nebraska. "We'll begin using this resource as soon as we're back from Conclave."

More information on AGS Diamond Search is available at www.ags.org and also at www.Verichannel.com.

#####

The American Gem Society, founded in 1934 by Robert M. Shipley, is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to proven ethics, knowledge, and consumer protection within the jewelry industry. The American Gem Society is a professional organization awarding credentials for its members, who are held to the highest ethical and professional standards in the industry and must pass annual recertification examinations to maintain their titles. Less than five percent of jewelers in the country have met the exacting requirements necessary for membership.

For more information regarding the American Gem Society, please call 866.805.6500, or visit www.AmericanGemSociety.org