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When people or pets are cremated, ashes (Cabon) are left behind. Since modern technology allows people to make diamonds from carbon, so the next obvious question is…

Can diamonds be created from the ashes of loved ones or pets? Lab created diamonds can be made from the ashes (Carbon) of cremated family members or pets. They can even be made from hair clippings alone! The end result, is a real diamond, of almost any shape or color, that has all the hardness and beauty of a mined diamond. It’s symbolic, beautiful, and practical.

Creating these diamonds is a process that ultimately leads to a completely custom made gem. We’ll explain the price and process in the remainder of this article.

Man Made Diamonds which are created from the cremated remains of loved ones are referred to as ‘Cremation Diamonds’ or ‘Memorial Diamonds.’ This field isn’t very large yet, because the technology that allows us to make diamonds that look and function exactly like earth mined diamonds hasn’t been around for very long. Today lab created diamond and earth-grown diamond are identical twins, both on the surface, and at a molecular level.

The process of creating a memorial diamond begins with cremation. Ideally, the cremation is done over a very controlled fire that is kept at a lower temperature. A fire that’s too hot produces less usable carbon. Not much is needed in order to grow a diamond, but it’s helpful to maximize the ashes that you have available anyway. You typically need at least ½ cup of ash in order to produce a diamond. More ash allows for a larger diamond. Diamond growing attempts aren’t always successful on the first attempt. Since that first effort doesn’t always pan out, having extra ash available ensures that the lab will have enough to start the process over again if needed.

Next, you’ll select your provider and pay a deposit ranging from 25% to 50%. They’ll send you a container that you can put your ashes, or hair, in. You’ll then seal the container up and mail back. Excellent logistics are critical for companies in this industry. They have to make sure to carefully track every submission throughout the process. They often use RFID or barcodes to provide tight tracking and positive identification of the remains that have been entrusted to their care.

The laboratory will use the HPHT (High Pressure, High Temperature) manufacturing process to grow your diamond. The technology simulates the conditions that earth-grown diamonds experience when forming far beneath the earth’s surface. It can take 3 to 10 months to complete each diamond depending on the size and other details of the gem you’ve ordered, and whether the first attempt forms properly, or they have to make a second attempt.

Diamonds can be made in any almost any of the common, or fancy, shapes or colors that you’d see in any jewelry store. The shape and color that you choose may depend on how you plan to use the diamond (a ring, necklace, earrings, or pendant for example), the personality of the person you’re memorializing, and your personal preference.

In deciding color, you might consider the favorite color of your loved one. Is there a color that they wore frequently? Did they always buy cars of a certain color? Does a particular color represent their personality well? Maybe their feminine nature is represented best by pink, or their strength and rugged disposition draws you toward blue. Colorless is also a popular choice if you don’t feel a strong pull toward a particular color.

How Are Memorial Diamonds Used

To remember a loved one. Lab created diamonds, made from the ashes of a person or pet that you loved, allows you to keep them with you through a beautiful sparkling reminder of just how special they were to you. Through this process, you create an heirloom with enormous sentimental value that can be enjoyed, treasured, and passed down through generations.

For permanency. Bodies break down and waste away, but diamonds are the hardest natural material on the planet. They can endure indefinitely.

To celebrate a life well lived. Graveyards can be depressing for some, especially when they aren’t maintained well. A diamond is anything but dingy and depressing—it ‘comes alive’ with beautiful shimmers that can lift spirits.

To save time and money. Though you have good intentions, you probably don’t get by cemeteries much to visit loved ones that have been laid to rest there. A diamond ring or necklace could be a constant reminder that’s always with you. No need to drive across town to ‘pay your respects’ when you carry that person with you all the time in diamond form. Funerals can get expensive! The average funeral runs $10,0000 to $20,000. Memorial diamonds can be a much more affordable alternative.

For portability. If you bury a loved one, or pet, and then have to move away from the area, because of work or other obligations, you won’t be able to visit the gravesite very frequently. A diamond goes wherever you go, so you won’t have the same potential for forced separation.

As a tribute to the living. Use hair clippings from your child, your spouse, or a dear friend, to create a real diamond that has extra significance. You could even use your hair, to create a diamond for a promise ring, engagement ring, or wedding ring that couldn’t be more unique, personal, or meaningful. It doesn’t take much. A diamond can be created with the clippings from one or two haircuts for most people.

Memorial Diamond Made From the Hair of Your Child, Friend, or Another Loved One

Tiny Laser inscriptions can be made along the edge of the girdle if you’d like to add a meaningful message. The girdle is the part of the diamond that’s widest. The inscription is made along the thin edge that wraps around that widest part of the ring. The message can be deeply personal because it isn’t visible to everyone that sees your diamond during everyday wear. Lasers can inscribe with such incredibly small lettering, that you have to view the message through a 15x to 20x magnification before you can read it.

How Much Do Memorial Diamonds Cost?

These lab-created diamonds can be manufactured in a variety of sizes that typically range from .25 carat to 1 carat (sometimes slightly more). Diamonds smaller than .25 carats are rarely offered, because they aren’t cost effective to manufacture.

The exact cost will vary based on the size, cut, and color that you’re seeking, but generally speaking, prices will range from approximately $1,200 to $18,000. A 1 carat colorless (or near colorless) diamond will run roughly $6,500 to $18,000 depending on who you buy it through and specifications of the diamond you order.

Again, the average funeral ranges from $10,000 to $20,000. A casket alone is typically well over $2,000. In light of such high costs associated with burial, a cremation diamond can actually be a much more cost-effective method of handling a deceased loved one. Cremation, arranged through a funeral home, in the US typically runs $1,500 to $3,000. With the added cost of a .5 carat diamond, for example, your total cost could conceivably be $5,000—just HALF of what even a basic funeral would cost. What’s even better, is that you’re able to carry a piece of that loved one with you all the time, rather than only visiting on rare occasion.

Cremation Diamond Ring Made From the Ashes of a Deceased Relative or Pet

The costs to cremate pets is even more affordable. Cremation for dogs, for example, typically runs just $50 to $150. Your total costs for a .5 carat diamond made from the ashes would likely be around $2,500. Dogs obviously aren’t the only animals that can be used to create diamonds. Cremation for most common household pets would fall in that same ($50 to $150) cost range. The larger the animal, the more expensive cremation services will likely be. A horse, for instance, would cost a lot more than a Parrot. In fact, cremating a 1,000-pound horse would probably cost between $600 and $1,000.

Some people have used taxidermy to keep the memory of their pet companions alive, but that process can be expensive, it doesn’t work as well with all types of animals, and can feel creepy at times for family members and friends.

Both financially and emotionally, cremation diamonds, made from the ashes of those we love, make a great deal of sense. They allow a beautiful life, to continue bringing beauty to your world.

Related Questions:

Are Cremation Diamonds Real?

Cremation Diamonds are exactly like diamonds that are mined from the earth. They have the same composition and can come in all the same shapes and colors. They’re also visually indistinguishable, just as hard, and equally durable. Since these diamonds are lab-made, they’re always conflict-free gems.

How Much Ash is Created When a Person is Cremated?

The average adult produces about 5 pounds of total ash after cremation. The total volume depends on the size of the individual. Adults can range between 3 pounds of ash, to a little more than 9 pounds. Even the smallest yield of 3 pounds is plenty of material to manufacture a diamond, in most cases.

Just How Colorless are Cremation Diamonds?

Colorless, and near-colorless, Cremation diamonds typically fall in the D through J range of color. Toward the J side of that range, diamonds take on a yellowish hue. The more colorless a diamond is, the more it generally costs. Memorial diamonds are also available in a wide range of fancy colors.

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