In 2020, Yasser Dallal embarked on an entrepreneurial journey to create Astartelux: a unique, ethically sourced and sustainable jewellery startup, now located in the heart of Luxembourg City. His successful concept of creating meaningful pieces with a story aligns with the contemporary challenges that entrepreneurs take on today.
Yasser Dallal, graduate of the Master in Entrepreneurship and Innovation , is the creative Director and founder of Astartelux Jewellery. Originally an engineer in maritime transportation, he talks about his inspiration in making and designing jewellery and his motivation to build a sustainable business.
Before moving to Luxembourg with his family in 2018, he volunteered for nearly ten years, dedicated to humanitarian, education and peace-building efforts in conflict zones across the Mediterranean. In Luxembourg, he entered a very different world and ecosystem, which he studied carefully before embarking on his entrepreneurial journey.
The Master programme, as well as the University’s Incubator & Entrepreneurship Programme offered a wealth of information and roadmaps to launch and finance a new business, but also valuable connections to professors and business experts. He started to pursue the goal to create his unique brand: "During three years I worked with the University to develop this idea: to create a sustainable, unique jewellery brand, to respect nature and the circular economy."
Yasser also explored Luxembourg’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by participating in street markets and engaging with customers, in order to identify gaps in the market. By steadily improving his understanding of the customer demands and desires, he refined his business concept. "A professor advised me to use "what you already have in your hands" to add value. I used my passion for crafting by hand to create unique jewellery pieces."
Aligning with today’s requirement for sustainable practise
Sustainability has always been a key priority to Yasser. He was one of the signatories of the sustainable development goals in 2015, when Heads of State and Government, senior UN officials and representatives of civil society adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), conceived with the active participation of UNESCO. "I’m trying to make each step of this business as sustainable as possible. Astartelux is also the first Luxembourgish member of the of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) and of the Fair-mined gold seal of approval, which certifies gold from responsible small-scale mining. Besides, all the gems and diamonds used in Astartelux jewellery are ethically sourced from suppliers who follow conflict-free and socially responsible practices."
Not satisfied with following trends, Yasser aimed to create a new category: affordable, responsible luxury jewellery, using fair-mined or recycled precious metals. Customers can have custom pieces made within their budget or have their old gold and silver jewellery recycled into fresh pieces they love to wear today. His concept of creating meaningful pieces with a story led to success, including being selected for a pop-up store out of over 100 applicants.
Looking towards a bright future
Concerning future plans, one of his projects is to link blockchain technology to each individual product, so that every part of the pieces is transparent, making the process traceable from mining to production and up to the selling point. Customers will thus be able to learn about these details concerning each piece. He noted he would like to do this in collaboration with the University, notably with a team of specialists in blockchain technology. This is the upcoming project in addition to his goal of exporting to Asia and the United States. Being a Luxembourgish patented brand, Yasser wishes to inspire other local producers and startups to sell internationally while focusing on sustainable principles. Furthermore, Astartelux donates 10% of profits to educational programmes for children in need in the Mediterranean regions.
You can find AstarteLux at 1 Grand Rue in Luxembourg.
