Everything you need to know about conflict-free lab-created diamonds

Sparkle and Shine

Photo courtesy of Clean Origin

Engagement season is in full swing, but even if you're not shopping for a sparkler to put on your beloved's ring finger, you might be in the market for gorgeous diamond earrings, bracelets, or a necklace.

In either case, have you considered lab-created diamonds? Lab-grown diamonds are chemically identical to mined diamonds, and look the same to the naked eye, even to a professional.

They're also the only way to know that your diamond jewelry is 100-percent ethically sourced and not contributing to the social and environmental destruction caused by the mining industry.

"The mining industry causes rapid deforestation, displaces communities (including Indigenous peoples), and harms biodiversity," says Clean Origin co-founder Alexander Weindling. "In 2021, mining companies used 126 gallons of water per carat mined."

Weindling, a third-generation diamond jeweler, started Clean Origin in 2017 with Ryan Bonifacino, combining more than 200 years of diamond expertise with modern, ethical practices. They exclusively sell 100-percent conflict-free, lab-grown diamonds and, when possible, recycled precious metals.

What started out as an online-only company now has showrooms in Houston, Dallas, and Columbus, Ohio, with locations opening soon in Chicago, Southern California, and Northern Virginia.

Customers can meet a qualified jewelry consultant and explore engagement rings, wedding bands, earrings, necklaces, tennis bracelets, and fashion jewelry.

They can also learn how lab-grown diamonds are created just like natural diamonds, using technology that mimics the heat and pressure created by the earth’s crust. These diamonds still have variations like mined diamonds — not all lab-grown diamonds are perfect — and are still measured with the 4 Cs:

  • Cut: how the diamond refracts light. Note: This is different from shape, which refers to the diamond’s physical shape (such as oval, round, etc.).
  • Color: the hue or tint of the diamond.
  • Clarity: the measure of internal or external imperfections.
  • Carat: the weight of the diamond.

All of Clean Origin's diamonds are independently certified to ensure they are of the highest quality.

Some other perks of shopping with Clean Origin include a generous 100-day return policy and free resizing for engagement rings, and all orders include complimentary expedited shipping to ensure your jewelry arrives swiftly and safely.

Clean Origin’s online ring builder helps you envision your or your partner’s dream engagement ring. If you’re just beginning the diamond buying process, schedule a free virtual appointment with one of their qualified jewelry consultants, who will talk you through the process and answer any questions you have about the selection.

And here's the kicker: lab-grown diamonds can be anywhere from 20-40 percent less expensive than mined stones, meaning you can get more wow factor for way less. What's not to love about that?

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Houston space companies land $150M NASA contract for vehicles and robots

space simulations

Houston-based MacLean Engineering and Applied Technology Services LLC, known as METECS, has received a five-year contract from NASA to develop simulations and software services for space-based vehicles and robots, with a maximum value of $150 million.

Two other Houston-area companies, Tietronix Software Inc. and Vedo Systems LLC, were assigned as subcontractors for the award.

"This award is a strong testament to NASA’s continued trust in the quality of our work and their confidence in our ongoing support of the human spaceflight program," John MacLean, president of METECS said in a release.

According to NASA, the awardees are tasked with providing:

  • Simulation and software services for space-based vehicle models and robotic manipulator systems
  • Human biomechanical representations for analysis and development of countermeasure devices
  • Guidance, navigation, and control of space-based vehicles for all flight phases
  • Space-based vehicle on-board computer systems simulations of flight software systems
  • Astronomical object surface interaction simulation of space-based vehicles
  • Graphics support for simulation visualization and engineering analysis
  • Ground-based and onboarding systems to support human-in-the-loop training

The contract is called Simulations and Advanced Software Services II (SASS II), and begins in October. This is the second time METECS has received the SASS award. The first also ran for five years and launched in 2020, according to USASpending.gov.

METECS specializes in simulation, software, robotics and systems analysis. It has previously supported NASA programs, including Orion, EHP, HLS, Lunar Gateway and Artemis. It also serves the energy, agriculture, education and construction sectors.

Tietronix Software has won numerous awards from NASA. Most recently, it won the NASA JSC Exceptional Software Award (2017). Some of its other customers include Houston Independent School District, Baylor College of Medicine, DARPA and Houston Methodist.

Video Systems offers software for implementing human-rated, AI and autonomous systems, as well as engineering services to address the needs of spaceflight and defense. The company has previously worked with NASA and METECS, as well as Axiom Space and defense contractor Lockheed Martin.

The three companies are headquartered near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Greentown Labs names Lawson Gow as its new Houston leader

head of hou

Greentown Labs has named Lawson Gow as its Head of Houston.

Gow is the founder of The Cannon, a coworking space with seven locations in the Houston area, with additional partner spaces. He also recently served as managing partner at Houston-based investment and advisory firm Helium Capital. Gow is the son of David Gow, founder of Energy Capital's parent company, Gow Media.

According to Greentown, Gow will "enhance the founder experience, cultivate strategic partnerships, and accelerate climatetech solutions" in his new role.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join Greentown at this critical moment for the energy transition,” Gow said in a news release. “Greentown has a fantastic track record of supporting entrepreneurs in Houston, Boston, and beyond, and I am eager to keep advancing our mission in the energy transition capital of the world.”

Gow has also held analyst, strategy and advising roles since graduating from Rice University.

“We are thrilled to welcome Lawson to our leadership team,” Georgina Campbell Flatter, CEO of Greentown Labs, added in the release. “Lawson has spent his career building community and championing entrepreneurs, and we look forward to him deepening Greentown’s support of climate and energy startups as our Head of Houston.”

Gow is the latest addition to a series of new hires at Greentown Labs following a leadership shakeup.

Flatter was named as the organization's new CEO in February, replacing Kevin Dutt, Greentown’s interim CEO, who replaced Kevin Knobloch after he announced that he would step down in July 2024 after less than a year in the role.

Greentown also named Naheed Malik its new CFO in January.

Timmeko Moore Love was named the first Houston general manager and senior vice president of Greentown Labs. According to LinkedIn, she left the role in January.

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This article originally appeared on our sister site, EnergyCapitalHTX.com.

Houston foundation grants $27M to support Texas chemistry research

fresh funding

Houston-based The Welch Foundation has doled out $27 million in its latest round of grants for chemical research, equipment and postdoctoral fellowships.

According to a June announcement, $25.5 million was allocated for the foundation's longstanding research grants, which provide $100,000 per year in funding for three years to full-time, regular tenure or tenure-track faculty members in Texas. The foundation made 85 grants to faculty at 16 Texas institutions for 2025, including:

  • Michael I. Jacobs, assistant professor in the chemistry and biochemistry department at Texas State University, who is investigating the structure and thermodynamics of intrinsically disordered proteins, which could "reveal clues about how life began," according to the foundation.
  • Kendra K. Frederick, assistant professor in the biophysics department at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, who is studying a protein linked to Parkinson’s disease.
  • Jennifer S. Brodbelt, professor in chemistry at The University of Texas at Austin, who is testing a theory called full replica symmetry breaking (fullRSB) on glass-like materials, which has implications for complex systems in physics, chemistry and biology.

Additional funding will be allocated to the Welch Postdoctoral Fellows of the Life Sciences Research Foundation. The program provides three-year fellowships to recent PhD graduates to support clinical research careers in Texas. Two fellows from Rice University and Baylor University will receive $100,000 annually for three years.

The Welch Foundation also issued $975,000 through its equipment grant program to 13 institutions to help them develop "richer laboratory experience(s)." The universities matched funds of $352,346.

Since 1954, the Welch Foundation has contributed over $1.1 billion for Texas-nurtured advancements in chemistry through research grants, endowed chairs and other chemistry-related ventures. Last year, the foundation granted more than $40.5 million in academic research grants, equipment grants and fellowships.

“Through funding basic chemical research, we are actively investing in the future of humankind,” Adam Kuspa, president of The Welch Foundation, said the news release. “We are proud to support so many talented researchers across Texas and continue to be inspired by the important work they complete every day.”

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