The 黑料老司机 (AGS) has always stood for something more than a name. It represents a commitment to protecting consumers through the highest standards of ethics and ongoing education鈥攙alues embodied in every AGS credential. As our organization continues to evolve, we鈥檝e worked hard to ensure that the structure supporting that mission is modern, streamlined, and built to serve every member鈥攚hether you鈥檙e a business owner, manager, or sales associate.
As previously reported, we鈥檝e updated our membership structure. Here鈥檚 what that means for you鈥攁nd how to make the most of your membership.
What Stays the Same
All of your business membership benefits remain unchanged, including:
- AGS credentials
- Savings on and access to products and services
- For retailers, access to the AGS Private Label Credit Card
- Networking groups like the AGS International Guilds and Young Titleholders
- Volunteer opportunities to have your voice heard on our committees
- Access to , a member-only benefit
- Access to free GIA lab classes at the AGS campus
- Ongoing learning and the latest AGS news through Spectra and Spectra Update
- Find a Jeweler search and Find a Jeweler Week
- search and Find a Vendor Week
- (Professional Resources Online)
- Instagram Takeovers
- Vendor Member and Retailer Spotlights on Social Media
- Opportunity to be featured on our daily social media
- Member Spotlights in our member publications
- Features in our AGS Blog and Brilliance, reaching consumers
- Sharing your expertise through our video series, such as 鈥淪parkle Sessions,鈥� 鈥淎ll About Birthstones,鈥� or our 鈥淢embers Teaching Members鈥� series, webinars, and writing opportunities
- Coming soon: ready-to-use messaging to help you communicate the value of your AGS membership鈥攁t the sales counter, in marketing materials, and on your website. Content will be customizable for both retailers and partners.
Simplified Member Classifications
We鈥檝e simplified how membership classifications are defined. Designations like 鈥渟uppliers鈥� and 鈥渟ustainers鈥� are now unified under the 鈥減artner鈥� category, alongside appraisers. This change is largely operational but also reflects a broader goal: reducing complexity and making it easier for every business to understand its place within the AGS community.
These classifications allow us to better tailor benefits to your business type. As a retailer, you鈥檒l continue to have access to tools like Find a Jeweler, which connects consumers directly to your store. Partners have access to Find a Vendor, helping buyers locate your products and services. Your AGS membership is a marketing asset, one that signals your dedication to the integrity and excellence that today鈥檚 clients are actively seeking.
Credentialing Access Across All Business Types
One of the most meaningful updates in our membership restructure is the removal of restrictions that previously limited which employees could earn certain credentials based on the type of business they worked for. For example, service providers could only attain a CSA. Under our updated structure, employees at any AGS member business鈥攊ncluding partner firms鈥攁re now eligible to pursue all AGS credentials, including the Certified Gemologist庐 Appraiser (CGA) and Certified Gemologist庐 (CG) designations.
This expands your ability to build a more credentialed, knowledgeable team and to promote that expertise to your clients.
Updated Classifications for Affiliate and Patron Members
Our updated individual membership options reflect a long-standing reality: credentialed AGS professionals are deeply committed to the titles and designations they鈥檝e earned, and that commitment doesn鈥檛 disappear when life circumstances change.
Credentialed individual members are no longer subject to the previous one-year time limit on affiliate membership. This means that when a credentialed professional transitions between positions, they can maintain their hard-earned credential as a Credentialed Affiliate. To learn more about the individual transition process, please contact [email protected].
Important safeguards remain in place:
- Credentialed Affiliates can use their credential for personal promotion; however, the non-AGS business must not use or promote the credential in any way that implies that the business is an AGS member.
- An individual holding a credential independently cannot use that credential to market a non-AGS business
- The individual must remain active in the industry to retain their credential.
- If the individual wishes to advance their credential (e.g., from CG to CGA), they may do so only if employed by an AGS Business member.
These guardrails protect the integrity and prestige that make an AGS credential meaningful. Violations on the part of the credentialed member or the business they work for will result in termination of the credential.
Your Membership, Working for You
Being associated with the AGS brand and reflected in your team’s credentials signals something important: a commitment to a higher standard.
We encourage you to explore the tools and benefits available through your membership and to reach out to AGS if you have questions about how these updates impact your business.
These updates are designed to ensure your membership continues to deliver value鈥攖oday and into the future.