Cremation Diamonds – A real family jewel

When someone mentions the family jewels they might be talking about a relative. Recent media has brought cremation diamonds to mainstream attention. These diamonds are made from the cremains of a loved one and can be crafted in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Starting around $1,399 these unique memorials can reach upwards of $20,000 for a .99 carat diamond in the shape of your desire. Cremation diamonds aren’t just for people; you can also have a beloved animal turned into a piece of carbon artwork.

One of the first companies to offer cremation diamonds to United States was LifeGem. While the technique of making synthetic diamonds is not new, the process of incorporating ashes into them is. Synthetic diamonds were first created commercially by General Electric in 1954. Although, the earliest attempts at creating synthetic diamonds date back to 1879. Lifegem was founded in 2001 after developing the process to make cremation diamonds possible. The company is ran by two brother duo’s. Dean and Rusty VandenBiesen and Greg and Mike Herro out of Chicago, Illinois.

How Cremation Diamonds are Made

1. How to make a diamond from human ashesCarbon molecules are separated from the ashes
2. Extracted carbon is turned into graphite
3. Prior to crystallization, a starter crystal is inserted in the graphite
4. Graphite is subjected to gradually increasing heat and pressure (around 2372 F and 55 Giga Pascals of pressure
5. The length of growth phase affects the weight (carat) of diamond
6. Synthetic carbon can be used to effect the aesthetics of a diamond (color)

The video was provided by Algordanza, a company found in Switzerland in 2003.

Using the process outlined by Lifegem, several dozen stones can be made from the remains of one individual. Lifegem has stated the quality target is to make diamonds at the VVS quality level. VVS stands for Very Very Slightly Included which describes the clarity of the diamond.