November 2022 | Diamond Pulse
40 | November 2022 | Diamond Pulse | The Diamond and Jewelry Resource Book Mailed to 23,000 Jewelers Monthly - To advertise call (888) 832-1109 | November 2022 | 41 what percentage of that slice should we be? And, where does the energy to power CVD plasma spinners and the entire LGD growing process fit into this summary? Does the lack of diamond mining or LGD production inclusion offer a nod to how low our industry may rank on the greenhouse gas problem list? OurWorldinData.org was asked these questions and informed us they “need more time” to help address this question as of press time. Next, we went to the non-profit and highly acclaimed Climate Neutral organization. None of their reports included diamond mining or LGD-related numbers, but they did offer a handy online means to determine your ”brand emissions estimator.” Access to such is here: https:// www.climateneutral.org/bee Like SCS Global and their certified sustainably rated diamond program https://sustainabilityrateddiamonds. com, Climate Neutral offers third party evaluation and certification. Then again, so does Positive Luxury, a group focused on sustainability and the luxury industry (best known for their association with Fashion Week’s finest). They too offer a free online assessment tool in this realm: https://tinyurl.com/ButterflyMark Too low to show? By what metrics are any of these groups basing their diamond to carbon output evaluations? How are they defending the lack of a even playing field? For the right dollar amount (and a signed statement that your operation is working towards a zero carbon goal) you too may gain a certificate you may determine is valuable. These expensive endorsements are leveraged for investor relations and PR purposes. Often posted on a company web site or framed in a place where the public can openly see your business, one must question how important these paid certs are in the carbon-cutting goal. Even if our industry carbon footprint is deemed to be a single digit percentage, we still count. If we’re looking at a 2% (or less) piece of the total pie, we may have to ask ourselves if the companies offering sustainability certification are really focused on green or greed. Life cycle reports;Aholistic formof analysis A life cycle report is an industrial ecology calculation technique offering a drilldown. long-term comparison through an estimated product lifetime. As with any structured analysis, the process must be repeated until the all the divisional results are proven to be consistent within a structured range at each test point. Given the aforementioned deficiencies in diamonds and carbon comparisons, a comprehensive analytical tool is needed. Our industry needs to develop clear, mutually agreeable metrics along various paths of the product life cycle to get meaningful comparisons of impact. These findings probably won’t fit into one “catch all” category. Does it seem appropriate that a cross-segment analysis on greenhouse gas emissions comparing mining operations to LGD producers be evaluated and promoted by a group focused on defending one side? I’m referencing the Natural Diamond Council (NDC) or the International Grown Diamond Association (IGDA) in this instance. This is another example where the Mined and Man-made Diamond Alliance (www.MMDA.world ) the only non-bias, non-profit diamond organization is the needed as an ombudsman and for industry balance. Consumer preferences for mined versus man-made diamonds may change due to price, scarcity, the optics and the affect of environmental and social impact. Social indicators with conflict issues, regional livelihood challenges as environmental indicators of comparative impact must also be envaulted on a case- by-case basis then compared to whatever is agreed to be an acceptable range. In summary, although energy usage comparisons may provide a rough estimate of comparative impact, they vary considerably by geographic location of the diamond mine. So too are the variables specific to the kind of process used in LGD synthesis. Life cycle analysis can provide a more comprehensive evaluation and should be pursued as means of accounting for ecological impacts. It’s the hope of this author that the MMDA.world could cut the tug-of-war rope between the current diamond divide and work with established, independent, non- profit auditors for the betterment of the diamond industry in totality. ◊ The colossal and uncut 709-carat Peace Diamond sold for $6.5 million Photo: Brent Dan Scott is the founder and brand architect of New York/metro’s Luxe Licensing, a digital original content production facility, marketing and licensing agency catering to established, newly launched or relaunched luxury and demi- fine brands. Current and past clients include Chanel, Gucci, Harry Winston, Studio by Henry Dunay, Crevoshay, Tess Sholom Designs and other non-jewelry based properties. Dan welcomes conversation and may be reached through www. LuxeLicensing.com, dans@luxelicensing.com or texting +1 201 294 3697 .
Made with FlippingBook
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODg5Nzk=