Representatives of the American Gem Society announced a new membership designation for AGS members who have successfully completed Jewelers of America’s Certified Bench Jeweler certification, an exam process created to assess existing expertise and knowledge, as well as the AGS education requirements.

The Certified Jewelry Arts Professional designation was spearheaded by a committee chaired by David Gardner of David Gardner’s Jewelers—one of two AGS members to receive the initial CJAP designations at Conclave. Dave Lantz of MJ Harrington and Company was the other recipient. Gardner and Lantz hold AGS titles: Certified Gemologist and Certified Gemologist Appraiser American Gem Society, respectively.

“Any partnership that raises the bar for the bench jeweler is a win-win for the entire jewelry industry,” said David Peters, Jewelers of America director of Education. “The JA certification coupled with the AGS designation validates the bench jewelers expertise, provides a communication vehicle to the customer, and helps build the retail jewelers repair business.”

While Jewelers of America’s Bench Jeweler Certification program is open to all bench jewelers in the industry, the Certified Jewelry Arts Professional designation is only available to American Gem Society members.

“Bench jeweler’s capabilities are an incredible asset and means of differentiation for the independent retailer. We are pleased to utilize JA’s education program as a prerequisite for this designation,” said Ruth Batson, AGS executive director and chief executive officer.

JCK