American Gemological Laboratories to reopen
NEW YORK, March 28, 2009 – American Gemological Laboratories (AGL) is re-opening. The gem identification laboratory, founded in 1977, will re-open its doors after being closed by its owner, Collectors Universe, as it chose to exit the gem and jewellery business. AGL will re-open under the new ownership/leadership of Christopher P. Smith, former Vice President and Chief Gemologist for AGL in the past 2 years, who has reached an agreement in principle to buy the AGL including its name and various assets from Collectors Universe.
Smith will lead the AGL, maintaining the tradition of high-level gemstone reporting and documentation that its clients have come to expect. “I have been directly involved with the operation of AGL, having helped to manage the business since December 2006. Acquiring the lab seemed like a natural progression,” Smith said.
Christopher P. Smith is an internationally renowned gemologist. He began his career at the Gemological Institute of America’s Gem Trade Lab in California and was more recently their Director of Colored Stone Services at the GIA’s New York laboratory. Smith was also a past Director of the Gübelin Gem Lab, in Luzern, Switzerland were he worked for nearly 12 years.
Smith most recently received the Antonio C. Bonanno award for Excellence in Gemology by the Accredited Gemologists Association and has been widely published internationally on a broad range of gem-related topics, including gemstone treatments, their detection and proper disclosure, gemstone origins, diamonds, coloured diamonds, their characterization and treatment detection and new gem materials, as well as others.
American Gemological Laboratories (AGL) is the United States’ most widely known and respected coloured stone gem identification and quality grading laboratory. It was founded in 1977 and became the first gemological laboratory in the US to provide quality grading as well as country-of-origin determinations for coloured stones. AGL has become a brand for uncompromised standards and excellence in gemstone reporting and is regularly featured by the auction houses of Christie’s and Sotheby’s for important coloured stones they are offering for sale.
AGL will operate at the same location and all contact numbers remain the same: 580 Fifth Avenue, Suite 706, New York, NY 10036. Tel. 212-704-0727 and Fax 212-764-7614.
www.gemstone.org
