Diamonds are a symbol of beauty. But they also have an ugly environmental legacy.

Diamond mining requires removing a lot of earth from the ground. And it takes explosives, machinery, and trucks that all emit carbon pollution.

But a company that launched last December has found a way to produce lab-grown diamonds that actually benefit the climate.

Aether Diamonds sells diamonds that are made entirely from carbon that’s captured from the air.

“The manufacturing process that we’ve developed enables us to transform harmful atmospheric CO₂ into gem-grade diamonds,” says Ryan Shearman, co-founder and CEO.

To power its manufacturing process, Aether buys clean energy.

“Our goal is to make sure that every single piece of carbon emissions associated with the manufacture and distribution of our goods is completely offset by our own environmental initiatives,” Shearman says.

The company estimates that for every one-carat diamond it makes, it removes about 20 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. That’s more than the average American is responsible for in a year.

And the carbon stored in the diamonds will stay out of the atmosphere because, as the saying goes, diamonds are forever.

Reporting credit: ChavoBart Digital Media and Diana Madson