Synthesis diamonds that have zero or negative environmental impact. Aether Diamonds is the first company that can boast true environmental sustainability for its laboratory-produced stones. A goal that is not, as many believe, easy to achieve. Diamonds produced in the laboratory, that is, in high-tech factories, are always offered as gems that have no impact on the environment, unlike those extracted in mines. Too bad it’s not true: producing diamonds consumes a lot of energy. And the energy is produced in many cases with coal (for example in China most of the power plants are still of this type), or gas and petroleum derivatives. Only a small part of energy is produced thanks to the wind or the sun. In short, synthetic diamonds or, according to marketing storytelling, “grown in the laboratory” (as if they were vegetables) are not zero-impact.
Aether Diamonds, which is based in New York, appears to be different. It is, in fact, the first company in the world that produces diamonds to obtain the B Corp certification. The acronym, also referred to as B Corporation or B Lab, is a certification issued to virtuous companies for their social and environmental performance. It is awarded by B Lab, a global non-profit organization with offices in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and a partnership in Latin America with System B. To obtain and maintain certification, companies must receive a minimum score and pay an annual fee based on annual sales. Companies must also repeat the certify every three years.
The B Lab has assigned Aether Diamonds an impact score of 96.5 (the minimum is 80) after a long evaluation of the company’s business. Aether has committed to removing 20 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere for every carat sold, effectively offsetting the carbon footprint of the average American customer of 1.25 years. According to Ryan Shearman, co-founder and CEO of Aether, the B Corp certification reassures customers that by purchasing an Aether diamond they are helping to create a better future for themselves and the planet.
