Why should you choose Semper Fides?

1. Over 20 years of expertise: Semper Fides has many years of experience in the production of pet diamonds

Growing pet diamonds from individual carbon sources such as fur, hair, ashes or feathers is a multi-stage and complex process that requires extensive technical expertise in the fields of chemistry, physics, materials science and mechanical engineering. Very few companies and individuals worldwide possess the full scope of this knowledge and the necessary expertise to create unique and personalised pet diamonds for their customers over the course of decades.

The team behind the Semper Fides brand, founded in 2006, possesses this specialist expertise, which has continued to grow over time!

Since its foundation, Semper Fides has had an international market presence and boasts more than 20 years’ experience in creating diamonds from animal hair or ashes. Every stage of the process involved in creating an animal diamond takes place at the company’s own workshop in Domat/Ems, Switzerland, which is open to visitors at any time. Many thousands of successfully grown diamonds attest to Semper Fides’s consistency and reliability in the international markets of Europe, America and Asia.

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How long has ‘your’ supplier of pet diamonds been in business?
Can you find any other sources of information about ‘your’ provider outside the company’s website?
Is ‘your’ company well-known and recommended in the pet funeral sector?

2. Semper Fides is not an abstract company, but a real manufacturer of animal diamonds based in Switzerland

There are only a handful of companies worldwide that offer a full range of services for the production of pet diamonds. These few companies are surrounded by a multitude of diamond dealers and online shops which, whilst claiming to produce synthetic diamonds, are in reality neither able nor willing to do so. Instead, these companies purchase synthetic diamonds on the open market. Interestingly, the selling prices of these diamonds are often significantly lower than those of companies that actually produce pet diamonds from ashes, fur or hair.

The following indicators, amongst others, can be used to identify online shops:

There are no images of the competitor’s own production facilities – i.e. the chemical department, component manufacturing or the HPHT presses – in their documentation, brochures or on their website.

There are no photos of the management or the team in the documents, brochures or on the website.

No information or documentation regarding the address where the diamonds are actually produced.

Although some online shops may offer, following initial contact, the opportunity to visit and tour their ‘own’ production facilities, this is often not possible – usually after an order has been placed – due to sudden, unexpected or unforeseen reasons. The source of these competitors’ diamonds therefore remains a mystery. They operate anonymously and lack credibility. In some cases, their website contains no legal notice, or only an incomplete one.

! Find out more

Is “your” supplier of pet diamonds a company with its own production facilities, or simply a retailer?
Who is the team behind ‘your’ provider? Who are the staff? Who is your point of contact?
Can you actually visit and see ‘your’ supplier’s production facilities?

3. Quality and craftsmanship come at a price - Why Semper Fides’ PUREdiamonds are more expensive than other synthetic diamonds:

The massive expansion of synthetic diamond production for the jewelry industry over the past 15 years has led to a sharp drop in the prices of synthetic diamonds produced using HPHT or CVD processes.

The HPHT (High-Pressure, High-Temperature) process, which has been in use for many decades, requires significant investment in equipment. For each order or synthetic diamond produced using the HPHT process, a new specialized growth cell must be fabricated from a variety of components. Furthermore, due to its higher energy consumption per carat of diamond grown and lower output per unit of time, the HPHT process is significantly more expensive than CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) technology in the jewelry industry and has consequently been almost entirely replaced.

In both China and India, there are companies with several thousand HPHT systems that are currently underutilized due to rising energy costs and are now seeking new areas of business. At the same time, the rapid development of CVD technology has led to a massive drop in prices. Flawless synthetic single-carat (CVD) brilliant-cut diamonds, including a certificate, for $150 or less are no longer a rare occurrence.

It is important to note that it is impossible to produce animal diamonds using CVD technology exclusively from an animal’s carbon, given that the process requires several cubic meters of pure methane!

The amount of carbon contained in the source material (fur, feathers, ash, hair) is by no means sufficient for producing a CVD diamond.

The creation of an animal diamond, which consists exclusively of carbon derived from an animal’s hair, fur, or ashes, is therefore only possible using the HPHT process. Only the HPHT process allows for the growth of an animal diamond even from small amounts of carbon. This is accompanied by relatively higher costs for diamond growth per order.

Semper Fides creates each pet diamond exclusively from the ashes, fur, or hair of a single client. Mixing materials from multiple clients in a growth chamber without the client’s knowledge is unthinkable and unacceptable to Semper Fides.

Some competitors use large HPHT presses manufactured in China, in which the growth cell can be filled with up to 50 grams of high-purity carbon. In such systems, several dozen diamonds are produced per growth cycle, which are then distributed among various customers. Given this context, it is implausible to assume that this entire amount of carbon originates exclusively from a single source—such as an animal. At best, such a diamond contains only a small fraction of the carbon originally attributed to it.

In contrast, at Semper Fides, the growth cell is filled with only about 1 g of carbon, so that, depending on the customer’s specifications, one to—if desired—a maximum of four individual rough diamonds can be produced per growth cycle from a clearly traceable carbon source. Consequently, the production costs of the PUREdiamond are correspondingly high.

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Does “your” supplier use HPHT technology and presses?
Is the HPHT system large enough to allow for a 1:1 ratio between the source and the natural diamond?
Can you be sure that “your” provider operates fairly and transparently?

4. Semper Fides: A Caring Team in the Heart of Europe

Semper Fides is available to anyone interested Monday through Friday—by phone, email, or in person during visits to Domat/Ems. Unlike other providers, the names of our staff and management are well-known in the industry, and they can be contacted directly at any time.

Semper Fides does not use chatbots or AI; instead, we always provide in-person consultations because we are mindful of our responsibility and consider this a priority—regardless of the cost.

Unlike shell companies with rented office addresses, we invite you to visit our workshop in Switzerland and watch us at work.

As mentioned earlier, Semper Fides cultivates its PUREdiamonds in Switzerland, right in the heart of Europe. This also means that there is no wage dumping, and all employees are paid fairly in accordance with European standards, with social security contributions paid there as well. The entire production process—including the cutting—takes place in Europe. Taxes are also paid there.

Other suppliers primarily have their diamonds manufactured in regions south or east of the EU. Aside from opaque logistics and the associated CO2 emissions resulting from long supply chains, this also leads to a lack of clarity regarding social standards, occupational safety, environmental protection, and labor laws.

An anonymous online store doesn’t care about any of that, and it doesn’t mention it either. The website features only pictures of beautiful people and diamonds at rock-bottom prices—but no information about the actual production conditions behind them.

! Find out more

Can you visit and speak with “your” provider in person? Or can you only reach them by email or phone?
Can you be sure that “your” pet diamond is produced in accordance with European standards and not in an environment of sweatshops and wage dumping?
Does “your” provider use only purchased stock photos and stock images on its website, or does it showcase its team, management, production facilities, and chemistry lab?

5. The transparency and quality of Semper Fides

Over the past two decades, Semper Fides has gained extensive experience working with pet funeral directors, pet owners, bereaved families, and partners. These experiences have shaped who we are today.

Compared to new competitors emerging online, our processes are more complex, take longer, and cost more—but for good reason: We understand that the carbon source entrusted to Semper Fides is of great value and importance to every pet owner, and because quality is our top priority. However, quality and transparency come at a cost: multiple and continuous checks, as well as a general dual-control principle, unfortunately do not come for free.

Unlike other providers, some of whom do not even disclose import sales tax, customs duties, VAT, and shipping costs on their websites and only list net prices, every Semper Fides customer receives, upon request, comprehensive documentation with prices as well as personalized advice in person or over the phone.

Semper Fides ships diamonds exclusively via secure courier service, from one person to another. Whether to the cutter in Belgium, back to Domat/Ems for inspection, or to a local partner or the customer in person. This practice, too, stems from years of experience and comes at a cost. Nevertheless, we will continue down this path and remain more expensive, because it is of the utmost importance to us that our supply chains are staffed by trustworthy, ethical individuals and companies we know personally.

! Find out more

Have you received complete documentation and pricing information from “your” provider?
Does “your” supplier have its diamonds grown and cut in the EU, like Semper Fides does?
How important is it to you to have transparent proof of the whereabouts of the cremated remains or hair of your beloved deceased companion?

6. Semper Fides is here to assist you personally

Since its founding in 2006, the Semper Fides team has been exhibiting at many major pet trade shows both in Germany and abroad. There, we answer questions from interested pet owners and provide expert advice, backed by documentation and promotional materials. Unlike most of our competitors, we are happy to make this effort because personal interaction with our customers and prospective clients is important to us, and we always strive to provide them with the most comprehensive and accurate information possible.

Semper Fides is an active member of the German Federal Association of Pet Funeral Directors (Bundesverband der Tierbestatter e.V.) and regularly attends its general meetings.

We have long-standing relationships with many pet funeral directors, which include attending partner meetings and open houses. The management of Semper Fides is committed to actively engaging with the pet funeral industry and helping to shape it in a way that benefits all companies operating with integrity and fairness. Here, too, we are willing to invest both time and money to achieve the best possible outcome for our customers and the pet funeral industry: openness and trust throughout the entire funeral process, right up to the creation of a personalized pet diamond.

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Does “your” animal diamond supplier demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility in the industry that goes beyond simply making money?

7. Last but not least: Sustainability and environmental protection

Semper Fides strives to operate in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner on many levels. One notable example in this context is the building owned by the corporate group, which Semper Fides will move into in 2023.

In addition to a chemistry laboratory that operates with zero emissions in terms of exhaust air and wastewater—and thus meets the highest Swiss standards in this regard—consistent compliance with the Swiss Minergie-P standards presents a particular challenge for this building. The Minergie-P standard sets a maximum permitted total energy consumption of 45 kWh/m²a per unit of floor area for this industrial building. Semper Fides’ new manufacturing facility thus meets the same requirements as the “Passive House Plus” regulations in effect in Germany. With this step, Semper Fides demonstrates its commitment and dedication: both to protecting the environment and to the sustainability of its unique services.

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Are sustainability and environmental protection also priorities for “your” provider?

8. Conclusion

Compared to other market players and online retailers that do not have their own manufacturing facilities—and instead purchase and resell diamonds sourced from around the world—a PUREdiamond from Semper Fides will always be one-of-a-kind and more expensive.

The exceptional value of a PUREdiamond stems from the many factors outlined here.

! We guarantee and stand behind ...

the actual production of the PUREdiamond at our own manufacturing facility in Switzerland,
staff who are always available to speak with and have extensive experience,
well-established, stable, and reliable processes throughout the entire supply chain and order processing,
comprehensive and transparent documentation , as well as a consistent dual-control principle,
no wage dumping and the guarantee of European social standards,
the creation of value and the payment of taxes in Europe,
Sustainable and environmentally friendly practices,
personalized advice provided exclusively by our team, with no chatbots or anonymous online stores
many years of active involvement in the pet funeral industry.

! We guarantee
and stand behind ...

the actual production of the PUREdiamond at our own manufacturing facility in Switzerland,
staff who are always available to speak with and have extensive experience,
well-established, stable, and reliable processes throughout the entire supply chain and order processing,
comprehensive and transparent documentation , as well as a consistent dual-control principle,
no wage dumping and the guarantee of European social standards,
the creation of value and the payment of taxes in Europe,
Sustainable and environmentally friendly practices,
personalized advice provided exclusively by our team, with no chatbots or anonymous online stores
many years of active involvement in the pet funeral industry.