A Cremation Diamond ring
Cremation diamonds are synthetic diamonds grown in the lab from the carbon extracted from the cremated ashes of a departed one. Credited by technological advancements and the increasing demand for uniquely customized burial practices offering a new way in which the bereaved can commemorate the loss of their loved ones, the funeral industry in the USA is constantly changing to accommodate new post burial alternatives like cremation diamonds.
Cremation Diamonds are Diamonds Grown in Laboratory
HPHT apparatus used in cremation diamond creation
Renowned cremation diamond companies like the Swiss Lonité, with an existing branch office in Buffalo, State of New York in the USA, analyze the cremated ashes to determine whether they contain enough carbon to be turned into a diamond. About 200g of ashes or 10g of hair are required to do so. The ashes are then placed in a specialized crucible. The crucible is heated to over 5000F to make sure every element except carbon oxidizes and then temperature is raised further so that carbon can become graphite.
The graphite with a metal catalyst and a diamond seed crystal are placed into the core. The core goes into a specialized diamond press capable of creating extreme tension which then starts working thus bringing the pressure to about 800,000 pounds/square inches.
The process of turning human ashes into diamonds takes about 6 to 9 months. During the last stretch when the press is working, the temperature in the room stays about 2500F so that the ashes turned diamonds become solid. This process results in rough crystals that are then cut and polished into cremation diamonds. The color of the finished ashes to diamond ranges from white to dark blue, depending on the boron content of the ashes of the deceased.
Creation of cremation diamonds requires a good understanding of gemology which is the science dealing with natural and artificial gemstone materials. Some cremation diamonds vendors are academically trained gemologists and are qualified to identify and evaluate gems.
This craftsmanship also requires an understanding and application of the cremation diamond science HPHT creation technology inside the laboratory. Designers, Diamond Cutting and Polishing specialists are also part of the process from start to finish.
Cremation Diamonds as a long-term solution to issues affecting the Funeral Industry in USA
A crowded cemetery in Singapore
Overcrowded cemetery spaces in major cities like New York, London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Mexico: Due to the growing wave of industrialization, there is hardly any space for expansion and certainly not for burial plots. The existing burial plots are overcrowded and others like San Isidro cemetery in Mexico City, borough of Azcapotzalco reached full capacity in 2014 and people had to exhume the bodies to create space for the newly dead which is obviously a difficult experience to go through for the bereaved.
Rise of prices of traditional burial spaces. Due to shortage of burial plots, the existing cemetery spaces are very expensive for an average citizen to afford. The average cost of a cemetery funeral in the USA is $8000 and can go up to $10,000 compared to $706 in the 1960s, these prices skyrocket by over 50% annually.
On a positive note, cremation diamonds are eco-friendlier compared to cemetery burials. Due to the factors of polluting the underground waters with embalming fluids, the coffin and through tomb maintenance, cemetery burials release 10% more carbon in the long run compared to cremation diamonds which only require a one-time carbon release during the cremation ceremony.
Aspect of mobility in case of the need to relocate unlike cemetery burials: Cremation diamonds come is sizes of 0.25ct to 1.0ct which make them easy to carry around with you at all times as opposed to cemetery burials that are immobile and make relocating hard for the family of a deceased when need arises.
It is also possibility to offer the cremation diamond at very special Life events like weddings and engagements or pass the cremation diamond to future generations in your family as an everlasting legacy that pays tribute to the beautiful life lived by the deceased and the precious memories you hold of them.
Cremation Diamond Cost in the USA: How much should you pay?
Cremation Diamond Cost in the USA is dependent on the size, cut and color of the diamond selected.
- It is possible to keep a cremation diamond rough and unpolished or you can choose from any of the available options for a polished one; Brilliant, Princess, Radiant, Asscher, Emerald and Heart. The most popular cut style for cremation diamonds in USA is the Brilliant cut.
- Natural diamonds have diverse colors from the different elements in the environments in which they grow. Similarly, cremation diamonds take on five colors from the mineral elements in the ashes or the additional processes in the surrounding environment during the birth of the cremation diamond. The colors include: Naturally Amber, Greenish yellow, Red, Blue and purely colorless which is the most expensive due to the extra technical effort invested.
- Diamonds are measured in carat (ct), a unit of weight and one carat equals to 0.2g. Sizes of the cremation diamonds range from 0.25ct to 1.00ct.
- Cremation Diamonds Cost: Putting these factors into consideration, you are likely to pay around $1,700 to a little over $17,000 for a cremation diamond in the USA depending on the cremation diamond caracteristics selected.
Diamonds are precious stones consisting of a clear and colorless crystalline form of pure carbon, the hardest naturally occurring substance. Immortalizing your departed loved one as beautiful cremation diamond is by far the best new tribute you can pay to the beautiful life your lost loved one lived and the memories you hold dear whilst ensuring that their legacy lives on for generations to come.