Some Things Never Die

According to author Grace Speare, “For every force, there is a counter force. For every negative there is a positive. For every action there is a reaction. For every cause there is an effect.” And what has this to do with death and diamonds? Actually, what have death and diamonds got to do with each other? Read on and all will be revealed.


You must have heard people consoling those who have lost a loved one with the words, “They may be gone from this world but they are always with you and watching over you.” Well, guess what; these words may carry more than a bit of truth to them as a host of rather, shall we say, resourceful companies have started to manufacture diamond jewelry from the ashes of the cremated. Yes, you are reading correctly, this is not an episode of Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and the author is not under the influence of any mind-altering substance.

 
Okay, so here is the theory… and the practice. The human body is composed of approximately 18% carbon. Diamonds are predominantly carbon. Once the human body is cremated there remains (pardon the pun) around five pounds (2.3kg) of ashes from which to make diamonds. The ashes are placed in a very high pressure and high temperature chamber, and about a week later out comes your nearest and dearest shining like they never have before.

If your dearly departed had blue or green eyes, as a memento you can actually order a specific color, such as a blue diamond. Other colors available are yellow and red, and of course colorless diamonds are available. However, be warned, having your loved one turned into a diamond does not come cheap.


Recently, an Italian father had the remains of his 20 year old son who had died earlier this year in a car crash, exhumed and cremated. The ashes were sent to Switzerland and eight months later he received his “son” back in the form of a diamond.


For those of you who are particularly fond of a pet, there is the possibility of having your deceased pet’s ashes turned into a diamond. Be warned though, Fluffy will definitely not be fluffy after this process.


So, reverting to our introductory words:“for every force there is a counter force,” – the loss of pressure that results in death can apparently be countered after death; “for every negative there is a positive,” – the loss of a loved one is undoubtedly difficult, however a new diamond with them as the centerpiece may come as some form of consolation; “for every action there is a reaction,” – the pressure chamber is proof positive of that; and “for every cause there is an effect,” – it seems as though the cause of death can result in glowing memories.

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