Have you ever imagined having the opportunity to remain close to your loved ones even after their demise? Isn’t it a boon? To always hold your dear ones in your hand in the form of a sparkling stone is the most promising discovery, one that wipes away the tears of grief-stricken families. Can you visualize the blue eyes of your kin glittering in a blue diamond?
Diamonds are naturally compressed forms of carbon derived from dead plants and animals. These diamonds are formed in the mantle layer of the Earth’s crust when high temperature and pressure act on it for millions of years. What if this mantle is replicated in the laboratory, allowing for the creation of a diamond within months?
General Electric was the first company in the world to design an artificial diamond in their laboratory. In 1954, they initiated the synthesis of carbon to turn it into a glittering synthetic diamond, and it was commercialized in the 1980s. This tremendous invention by the General Electric Company laid the foundation for the synthesis of diamonds from the ashes of the dead.
The human body is composed of four major elements: oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon. Out of these, the first three exist in the gaseous state and remain free to evaporate while cremating the body to ashes. Hence, the ashes of the dead are packed with an ample amount of carbon, which is used as the raw material in the extraction of sparkling solace stones.
This abundant carbon is extracted from the ashes and purified to form the single building block for the diamond to be extracted. The purified carbon is then compressed between two plates under high temperature and pressure to crystallize it into a shiny diamond fragment. This fragment is then cut into the desired shape with the help of a laser.
Beautiful colours are imparted to this solace stone to enhance its appearance. A blue diamond with a bit of boron, a yellow diamond with a small amount of nitrogen, and red, green, and black colours are incorporated through the process of irradiation, delivering colours based on the reflected light.
Five major companies took the initiative for the synthesis of diamonds from the dead. Algordanza, a synthetic diamond company in Switzerland, is the predominant firm in synthesizing ashes into solace stones. This company produces 800-900 solace stones every year to bring the dead back into the lives of their dear ones. These diamonds are produced at a cost ranging between $5000 and $22000, comparable to the cost of their funeral.
The founder of Algordanza states that 25% of their customers are from Japan. He also states that most of the diamonds extracted glitter in blue because of the trace amount of boron present in the body (used in bone formation), and other colours are rarely seen.
According to him, a diamond can be made with just a pound of ash, and nine diamonds can be made from a normal deceased human being. The temperature maintained during cremation plays a vital role in determining the amount of carbon present in the ashes. Higher temperatures will cause the carbon to escape in the form of gaseous carbon dioxide.
Eterva, Texas, is another major company blessing mourning families with the shine of their beloved. Adelle Archer, the Co-founder, and CEO of Eterva, mentions that they are pleased to see the joy in the eyes of the family when their loved one shines in their hands like a star. Eterva allows its customers to observe the complete process of the conversion of their loved ones into diamond stones.
These diamond stones are then handed over to jewellers to be embedded in ornaments. Thus, those close to your heart can remain close to your heart as a pendant, revolve around your wrist as a bracelet, and hold your fingers forever as a ring.
