05.14.2008 | Posted by Katie Streeter

Would you turn your loved one into a diamond?

 I came across an ad for LifeGem the other day, and I was surprised to learn that the company makes diamonds using carbon captured from the cremated remains of your loved ones (pets included). They can also make diamonds out of locks of hair of the deceased or living (they actually made three diamonds out of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair, one of which they auctioned!).

I'm not sure how I feel about this yet. A few weeks ago, I posted about jewelry being emotional for me because I associate it with people, events, or other memories. But this seems different to me. Instead of looking a my ring and thinking, "I remember when grandma used to wear this ring," I'd have to look at the ring and think, "There's a bit of grandma in this ring."

Tell me what you think. Would you have a loved one, a pet, or yourself turned into a diamond? Why or why not?

 

––Katie 

Comments

  • May 14, 2008 @ 8:42 PM
    Bentiron said...

    This would be better then the hair jewelry that they used to make. Taking a snippet of the dead beloveds hair and putting it in  locket is just sick to me or braiding it into a brooch. That's how they got Ludwig's hair as a memento from his death bed. If someone wants to make a diamond out of me that's fine because I can consider myself "a diamond in the rough".

  • May 16, 2008 @ 9:58 AM
    Addie Kidd said...

    Sign me up!!

    As a jeweler, I think this would be the best way to be immortalized.

    In fact, I liked the idea so much when I first heard about it that I talked my family into creating a diamond through LifeGems with some of my Grandma Mildred's ashes. She always was one for sparkles!  Six months of process later, and it (she?) turned out beautifully!

    Now all I have to do is design a ring for around this very special gorgeous canary diamond heirloom- no pressure there! :)

  • May 16, 2008 @ 5:34 PM
    cnikita2 said...

    I once saw an ad for a company who would turn your children's baby teeth into jewelry.  I guess I could have seen this coming....

  • May 18, 2008 @ 1:42 PM
    cristiamador said...

    I am definitely into this! I saw this like a year ago and I wanted to make my dog a diamond when she passes... later I found out it costs like $3000 so I'll settle with keeping her safely buried in my backyard.

    But, if my loved one passes first, I am going to make him a diamond. I've gotten his approval already. Even if we're not married yet, I'll turn him into one. One of my best friend's boyfriend passed away a couple of weeks ago, and it got me thinking again about that. It's hard because it's your loved one, but still you have not much say in what is done, the "real" family gets to decide. It's inevitable to put yourself in that situation in thought, and I wondered what I would do. I threw the thought around the other day in front of my dear Mother in Law, and as I predicted she said "Isn't anyone going to ask the mom what she wants to do with her son?" So, as morbid as it may sound, I've asked my boyfriend to leave it writing that he wants me to make him a diamond for me if he passes, just to be sure there are no problems. And he agreed.

    Oh, and I've asked him to turn me into a diamond if I go first. And if he decides to get married again, he can turn me into a solitaire and give it to his future wife... so that she knows I'll always be there hahahaha.

  • May 18, 2008 @ 9:53 PM
    Bentiron said...

    At least with a diamond you don't have to worry about moth larva eating it like with a hair brooch. Just wondering about the approximate cost for such a gem? We have just about every dog and cat we ever owned in little plastic boxes waiting to disposed of somewhere.

  • May 22, 2008 @ 11:24 AM

    I feel its all marketing gimmick. If one reads about the way the diamond is being formed then they`ll understand what is there in it. Its all in the mind! But  its my personal view.

  • May 29, 2008 @ 9:16 AM

    Thanks for all the great comments! I love hearing why you would or wouldn't have a diamond made.

About Katie Streeter

Editorial Associate, Art Jewelry magazine

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