Diamonds are formed deep in the earth’s crust, where intense heat and pressure causes carbon atoms to crystallise forming diamonds. This process can now be replicated. The human body is made up of 18% carbon and between 1-4% of this carbon is left once the cremation process has taken place. You will be surprised to know that it only takes half a cup of ashes to produce a diamond.
But what if your loved one wants to be buried. Viner and Sons Funeral Directors can still help. Carbon can also be extracted from human hair. We would need a sandwich bag full of hair to be able to extract enough carbon for a diamond. If you do not have enough hair, then forms of paper can be added to reach the amount needed. This could be photos, books, or diaries.
The process will take up to 8 months, but this is a lot quicker than the millions of years natural diamonds take. Nothing will be added to the carbon extracted, so you can be assured that the diamond is 100% your loved one.
Viner and Sons can help you fill out the application form and keep you updated at every stage of the process.
A diamond’s Clarity refers to the visual appearance of blemishes and inclusions. Normally the clearer, the more valuable the gem.
Less than 1% of all diamonds ever found are flawless – ie. without any inclusions. In fact, diamond imperfections are almost inevitable. The inclusions in natural diamonds appear as small crystals, clouds, or feathers. Sometimes these inclusions are invisible to the eye. Inclusions – whether visible or invisible to the eye – interfere with the brilliance of the diamond since the light’s reflection is uninterrupted between the surfaces of the gemstone.
In the case of the Memorial Diamonds, 80% of memorial diamonds are VS1 or above – high-quality with no visible flaws. VS1 diamonds are those that are Very Slightly Included. These inclusions, however, are rarely noticeable to the naked eye. These inclusions in the Memorial Diamonds emphasize the uniqueness of each diamond.
The less coloration in a diamond, the rarer and the more valuable the diamond is. This is the general rule. The exception is the so-called ‘Fancy Diamonds’ – these fancy diamonds are of intense colour and are likewise extremely rare. The colour of diamonds is caused by impurities in their diamond grid, traces of other elements or defects in the diamond grid.
Memorial Diamonds have different blue shades due to the element boron ligated to the carbon in our body naturally. The intensity of the shade depends on the amount of boron within the diamond grid. The colour of your diamond will be completely unique and will help show the character of your loved one.
If you would like to find out more information and/or order your memorial diamond. Please contact our office and a member of staff will be glad to help.
