The AGS was created by Robert M. Shipley. During the 1920s, Shipley was operating quite successfully as a jeweler. However, despite his years in the industry, his lack of expertise regarding gems and jewelry was revealed to him by a pair of his best customers. Humbled by this revelation, Shipley realized that this was a big problem among American jewelers, one which likely accounted for much of the public's distrust for the profession at the time. Shipley lost his jewelry stores in a divorce and went to Europe, where he completed the Great Britain National Association of Goldsmiths gemological correspondence course. He brought his newfound expertise back to Los Angeles, where he founded his own preliminary course in
gemology on September 16, 1930. For the next few years, he worked to promote the need for gemological education and train a new breed of "certified" jewelers. These jewelers would form the foundation of the
Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and later the AGS. In its history, the AGS has achieved significant accomplishments within the field of gemology and jewelry. Among these are the following: • Invented the industry's first scientifically reviewed, objective, and repeatable Cut Grade method. • Created the Ideal Cut Grade for Round Brilliant shaped diamonds, often known as the AGS Ideal or the Triple Zero Cut. • Offered the industry's first diamond grading reports with a Cut Grade for Princess, Emerald, Oval, and other fancy diamond shapes. ==Laboratory services==