Carbon is practically a sacred element. It is found in all life forms, and it is also the basis of the fossil fuels that power the technology of the world today. Carbon that has been compressed for millions of years in the remains of long-dead organisms will eventually form a diamond. However, technology available today can speed up the process to produce custom diamonds from the remains of dead relatives. Even if the person was not cremated, a small lock of hair contains enough carbon to produce a sizable stone. The remains are processed into graphite, and the graphite is exposed to extremely high temperatures and pressures in a synthetic diamond press.
LifeGem is one company that offers this service. The company website offers to preserve the remains of a lost loved one for eternity. Over 100 stones ranging from .20 carats to 1.25 carats can be produced from a single person’s remains, in different shades of yellow, blue, red, green, or clear. The process costs several thousand dollars for a small stone, and the company also offers to set the diamond in a necklace or ring. Standard diamond cuts are offered. Experts grade the gems, and customers are offered certificates of authenticity. The company also offers its services for pet remains. The company states that it has served over 1,000 families since its creation.
The company has even produced diamonds using a lock of Beethoven’s hair from a private collection. The hair has been confirmed as authentic, and the process began in May 2006 and was completed at the end of the year. The stones will be taken in tours to museums and opera houses, and eventually auctioned on the LifeGem website. LifeGem is excited about producing diamonds from the hair of many other celebrities, and their website states that they have had many requests to do so for auctions and other events.
Many people choose cremation as a more appealing option than burial because they are uncomfortable thinking of how their bodies will decompose. They often hope that their ashes can be scattered in an area that was meaningful to them in their lives, or at an occasion where relatives and friends wish that they could have attended. Diamonds seem to offer a way to preserve remains forever in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Relatives can also carry the remains of their loved ones through the important events in their lives. One can imagine a series of family heirlooms where this process became a tradition.
