Peter Poussenier Bv

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Ethical and Ecological

The Need to Manufacture Sustainably

Sustainable as defined by the United Nations’ Brundtland Commission in 1987: “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

In the workshop of Peter Poussenier, a piece of jewelry is made to measure by hand in consultation with the future jewelry wearer or giver. By only keeping a stock of basic models, almost nothing is produced unnecessarily. Raw materials are used sparingly so that no unnecessary stock is left behind.

We work individually and piece by piece. So no dull series work. The humane aspect increases because all craftsmen are personally involved in the entire process.

The goldsmiths of atelier Peter Poussenier make their creations mainly with recovered precious metals. For this, Peter Poussenier works together with established values in the precious metal industry. As certified members of The Responsible Jewelery Council, these essayists strive for sustainable and transparent processes. In this way you too can have your old gold recovered through Peter Poussenier and reused for a new and sustainable design.

Even the diamonds from your old jewelry can be put back after any re-cutting. Yes, after one or even several generations, their eternal sparkle can live on in a new jewel. How many such sustainable things pass in a lifetime?

Of course you need energy to mine new natural diamonds. In order to reduce the environmental impact of this as much as possible, the miners are investing heavily in all kinds of projects. One such project is attempting to become carbon neutral by storing large amounts of carbon in kimberlite waste (the residual material left over after diamonds are mined). This is a natural process, as kimberlite has carbon storage properties. Projects like this could play an important role in changing the way not only the diamond industry, but also the wider mining industry, is tackling the challenge of reducing its carbon footprint.

The term recycling is irrelevant in the case of gold and precious stones. Gold and precious stones are not waste products. Nobody just throws them away. They are excluded from generation to generation and reused.

The Need to Manufacture Ethically

In the world of diamonds, the awareness of ethical business practices has grown strongly. Many new technologies have been developed in recent years to be able to trace rough diamonds from its origin to its ultimate carrier. As in all sectors, these are increasingly being used with the intention of making everything as watertight as possible. Keywords here are blockchain technology, the Kimberley Process recognized by the United Nations, new laser marking technology,...

One of the leading projects is Tracr. This tracking system project is an initiative from the diamond mining group DTC which they kicked off in 2018. In 2023 GIA Laboratories started to work with Tracr. Tracr's ambition is to be a trusted platform for the diamond industry. Their ambition is to promote transparency and enhanced confidence in natural diamonds, using the power of digital technology.

Tracr records essential information around the source, the weight of the rough diamond, how the rough diamond was manufactured and the finished polished measurements of the diamond. Tracr is also capable of storing additional information such as videos or images, grading reports and inscription numbers. The blockchain technology Tracr uses enables them to check diamond data against an immutable database, giving users confidence that their data has not been tampered with.

Besides the implementation of these new technologies, the diamond industry is strictly controlled and has to conduct research for every new professional customer. Among other things, the shareholders and company structure are subject to mandatory audits. Every year there is a mandatory course to be able to carry out the KYC process correctly. (KYC Know Your Customer).

Natural Diamonds

Atelier Peter Poussenier uses only natural raw materials in his creations.

For Peter Poussenier, an important part of a jewel, an engagement ring or the diamond dream is the idea that the gift is valuable and will remain valuable forever. It symbolizes the permanence of a promise.

Peter Poussenier therefore does not sell synthetic or lab grown CVD diamonds. The Achilles heel of synthetic diamonds is that as production methods are refined they will lose value more and more. It is certainly not a creation that took nature millions of years. In contrast, the resources for natural diamonds are limited. Unlike synthetic diamonds, they are becoming increasingly rare.

The fact that the value of a synthetic diamond decreases is therefore at odds with the durability of, for example, an engagement or a marriage that is just symbolized by an engagement ring.

From an ecological point of view, you need energy to mine natural diamonds as well as to produce lab-grown or CVD diamonds. The most sustainable are the recycled diamonds from old jewelry.

With regard to the social character, cooperation agreements have been concluded between the mine operators of natural diamonds and the countries of origin. These agreements ensure that society in the country of origin can also benefit from mining in its country. For example, the mine explorers made investments in, among other things, training courses and diamond processing plants. They provide work and income for many families. In contrast, the production facilities for synthetic diamonds are in the hands of industrial and wealthy groups that provide few employment opportunities. They mainly invest in cost reduction through robotization of the production process. So they are actually investing in a greater income inequality between future unemployed miners or diamond cutters on the one hand and the shareholders of high-tech robotic companies on the other.

To briefly summarize the vision of Atelier Peter Poussenier: “An authentic piece of jewelery made by hand by experienced craftsmen requires an authentic and natural raw material.”