AGS to Issue New Cut Grades Next Year

AGS Laboratories is to start issuing a cut grade for princess cut diamonds by the end of the first quarter of next year, to be followed by the new round brilliant cut grade system to be released in the second half of the year.

 

The scientific methods behind the new cut grade system reflects AGS Laboratories’ move to a performance-based cut grade system from being proportion-based.

“The new grading system for round brilliants will actually increase the integrity of the AGS 0 Cut Grade because it involves more physical measurements and scientific analysis than the old system required, and includes additional criteria based on new, cutting-edge technology,” said Peter Yantzer, Executive Director of AGS Laboratories. 

“Over the next 6-12 months we will be providing support materials and software for the parameters of the new cut grade system for our manufacturing clients which will assist them in cutting.”

In the new cut grade system, all 58 facets of a diamond will be measured in three dimensions rather than two. The measurements are used by a ray tracing computer program to trace light rays traveling through the diamond.

The program shows the quantity and quality of the light being returned to the viewer. In addition to proportion, symmetry, and polish, AGS Laboratories will also consider brightness, dispersion, leakage, contrast and spread in assigning the final cut grade.

The zero cut parameters for the traditional 53-57% tables have been tightened. These advancements in proportion grading eliminate a certain percentage of the original combinations of the round brilliant AGS 0 Cut Grade. Therefore, some diamonds that were previously AGS 0 cuts will no longer meet the new scientific standards, due to lower scores in the light performance categories.

To assist clients in cutting to the new standards, AGS Laboratories will issue parameter guidelines for the princess cut shortly and will issue the new round brilliant parameters in the first half of next year.