US Luxury Group Buys Stake in Lab-Grown Maker

RAPAPORT... Clikia Corp., a specialist in affordable luxury, has acquired a stake in Aether Diamonds, a synthetics producer that claims to grow its stones using carbon dioxide from the air.US-based Clikia bought the "material" interest for $150,000, it said in a statement Thursday. The transaction was part of Aether's $1.5 million funding round.Aether claims to produce the "world's first carbon-negative diamonds." It collects carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turns it into a hydrocarbon material that it can use to grow synthetic diamonds, according to its website. This reduces the need for fossil fuels, the company argues.Image: Ring featuring pear-shaped lab-grown diamond. (Aether Diamonds)