And finally, the hydrocarbon is used to create gem-grade diamonds through chemical vapor deposition.  The entire process saves 127 gallons of freshwater, and every one-carat diamond removes 20 tons of carbon from the atmosphere.  

Are the diamonds real?

Short answer: yes. "Our diamonds are in the top 2% of quality of diamonds available on the market," co-founder and CMO Robert Hagemann says. All of the diamonds are tested and graded by the International Gemological Institute and the Natural Capital Partners, who evaluate their diamond-making process and carbon impact.

Since launching in December 2020, the brand has generated over two million dollars in pre-orders. Designed by Jenna Housby, their evergreen collections, entitled "Commitment" and "Masculine," were used instead of "Engagement" and "Men's" to fall in line with the vision they have for the jewelry industry moving forward. "Most jewelry websites are very traditional in their approach, and while we recognize that that works for some people, it doesn’t necessarily work for everyone," Hagemann says, "The world is finally starting to realize humans have such an enormous range and fluidity of identity, gender, orientation, and lifestyle. We want to celebrate that in our jewelry."

With their evergreen collections and signature collection, Earthly Pleasures, you can shop through their rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, and cuffs. "A lot of our design inspiration came from the concept of air and negative space, so as you look at our designs, you’ll see a lot of that come through," Hagemann says, "We will create gaps and spaces in the jewelry that will allow air to flow through."

The jewelry is shipped in a plant-derived, ultra-suede jewelry box with FSC-certified recycled paper and sustainable wool felt inside. The founders hope the customers will reuse their Aether jewelry boxes, but the recyclable exterior is biodegradable regardless.

A core component of Aether’s business is forward thinking. "Part of the creation of Aether and the diamonds themselves is understanding the changes that we need to see in the diamond industry," Hagemann says, "Not just from an environmental impact perspective but from the perspective of the shopper, who has tried to navigate this industry for such a long time and doesn’t really have an all-encompassing or universal source of information."

This radical transparency came from the frustration consumers feel entering a website or store where the salesperson is also your source of information. Aether aims to change the power dynamic by placing the power and information into consumers' hands. "Even if an Aether diamond is not the right choice for them, at least we know that we’ve empowered them with knowledge and information so that they can make the right choice for themselves," Hagemann says. "We don’t want to create a bunch of confusion or haze around diamond shopping."

Right now, you can buy Aether diamonds directly on their website. The brand ships domestically and has plans to expand its shipping range internationally. "The idea of a physical store is something we’re thinking through," Hagemann says, "Our whole vision and mission are around how we can help to clean up the atmosphere and reduce our carbon footprint and that of our customers. An actual store location has many implications for the impact we have on the planet—the materials, construction, and ongoing operation all have implications for the environment. Once it's the right time and we're able to do it in the right way, we'd love to offer our customers an immersive in-store shopping experience where they can explore the world of Aether."