As demand for custom jewelry grows, the company is expanding its services to support retailers.
AGS CEO Ruth Batson to Retire in 2017
The American Gem Society and AGS Laboratories announced today that CEO Ruth Batson will retire in the summer of 2017, marking the end of a nearly 25-year career with the organization.

Las Vegas—The American Gem Society and AGS Laboratories announced today that CEO Ruth Batson will retire in June 2017. Her retirement will mark the end of a nearly 25-year career with the organization.
Batson, who holds a bachelor’s in business accounting from the University of Phoenix, started working at AGS in 1993 as controller, just as the organization relocated its headquarters from California to Las Vegas.
In August 1998, she became the AGS’s chief financial officer. Four years later, she was promoted to CEO.
She added CEO of AGS Labs to her title in 2012, after AGS announced it had acquired the outstanding shares of American Gem Society Laboratories.
In a statement released Monday by AGS, Batson noted that she spent her entire career in the jewelry industry with one organization, AGS, and considers it a privilege and honor to serve its membership.
“I will forever feel connected to the wonderful AGS and AGS Laboratories staff, the members and my jewelry industry friends,” she said. “We have an excellent team, and I know the society and laboratory will be in good hands.”
After retirement, Batson will split her time between her home in Las Vegas, where AGS is headquartered, and her family’s ranch in Montana.
The AGS’s board of directors will form a committee to find a new CEO.
AGS President Louis Smith, of Smithworks Fine Jewelry in Spartanburg, N.C., said Batson will participate in the search and on-boarding process for the new CEO, adding, “We are confident that we will find a great successor to guide the organization forward. Ruth has generously provided us with ample time to make a seamless transition.”
Both Smith and AGS President-Elect Scott Berg praised Batson’s leadership, contributions and dedication to the organization, which have not gone unnoticed by the industry as a whole.
Batson has been the recipient of a number of prestigious awards over the years, including the Excellence in Service Award from the Women’s Jewelry Association (2010), the Jewelers for Children Facets of Hope honoree (2012) and the Doyenne of the Year Award from the Indian Diamond & Colored Stone Association in 2013.
In 2014, she won the WJA’s Lifetime Achievement Award and has made JCK magazine’s Power List for the last four years.
She also serves on the boards of the WJA, JFC, Jewelers Vigilance Committee, U.S. Jewelry Council and JCK Show Advisory Board, and chairs the Ethical Initiatives Committee for Jewelers of America.
Smith said throughout her career,
“We are forever grateful for her service and contribution to the American Gem Society and AGS Laboratories,” he concluded. “She will always be part of the AGS family.”
The Latest

The mid-year conference for jewelry and watch appraisers is slated for Aug. 9 to 10 on Zoom.

Graduated stones make for elevated tennis-style pieces and dramatic statement necklaces.

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

Nominations in the categories of Jewelry Design, Media Excellence, and Retail Innovation will be accepted through July 30.


He retired last month after 28 years traveling the world to source the very best gemstones for his family’s jewelry business, Oscar Heyman.

The charm necklace features six nautical charms of shells and coral that founder Christina Puchi collected on Florida’s beaches.

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

The organization elected its youngest vice president as it looks to draw in fresh talent.

Campbell joins the company as vice president of business development while Liebler is the new vice president of operations.

The medals feature a split-texture design highlighting the Games’ first time being hosted by two cities and the athletes’ journeys.

Sponsored by The INSTORE Jewelry Show 2025

Globally, travel and transportation brands reigned, while in the U.S., alcoholic beverage companies and a lingerie brand took the top spots.

Production at the mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories topped 1 million carats in Q2, the third consecutive quarter of growth.

A new slate of Learning Workshops will take place in Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Georgia.

The middle class is changing its approach to buying jewelry and affordable luxury goods, the NRF said.

It marks the third consecutive quarter of growth for Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Buccellati, and Vhernier.

The reseller’s market trends report, based on its sales data, also shows exactly how much Rolex prices have jumped since 2010.

The auction house will be hosting a retrospective paying tribute to jeweler Jean Dinh Van and his company’s 60th anniversary.

The “Impermanence” collection contemplates nature through the Japanese art of Ikebana (flower arranging) and philosophy of wabi-sabi.

The Texas-based jewelry retailer has set up shop in Tennessee and Arizona.

Eric Ford will step into the role, bringing with him decades of experience.

In addition to improved capabilities, the acquisition will allow the jeweler to offer support to other independent jewelers.

The “Celestial Blue” capsule collection campaign features Olympian Kateryna Sadurska.

The seasonal store, located in Mykonos, Greece, offers exclusive events, personal styling, and curated experiences.

The New England jeweler is hosting a bridal event for the month of August.

The trade-only event will host its debut fair in the Emerald City later this month.