Cremation diamonds are a unique tribute compared to storing ashes in an urn

The most difficult part about grieving the loss of a loved one is being able to find the perfect sendoff that celebrates their life on earth and their legacy altogether without the bereaved feeling like they are attaching a price to their loved one. Specialist cremation diamond companies are providing a post burial alternative that’s fast gaining popularity in Australia due to the element of uniqueness in commemorating the deceased.

Cremation Diamonds: A Shift towards New Technology in the Australian Funeral Industry.

HPHT technology apparatus used in cremation diamond creation
Whereas cremation diamonds are synthetic diamonds that are created in laboratories from the carbon content of the cremated ashes or hair of a deceased, natural diamonds are formed at elevated temperatures and pressure at depths of 140 to 190 km in the Earth's mantle over a billion years.

Cremation diamonds can be created due to the carbon composition in the human body. This differs from case to case, therefore expert vendors like the Swiss LONITE with a branch office in Sydney, Australia have to first determine whether the cremated ashes or hair of the deceased contain enough carbon to be turned into a cremation diamond; about 200g of ashes or 10g of hair are required.

Cremation diamonds are born in the lab by recreating the conditions in the formation of natural diamonds with an HPHT technology over a period of 6 to 9 months. The ashes are put in a custom container called a crucible and then heated to over 5000F so that all elements except carbon can oxidize. The temperature is raised further so as to turn the carbon into graphite which is then placed into the core along with a metal catalyst and a diamond seed crystal. When the core goes into a specialized diamond press capable of creating extreme tension, the pressure is adjusted to about 800,000 pounds/square inches. During the last stretch when the press is working, the temperature in the room stays about 2500F so that the diamonds become solid resulting in rough crystals that are cut and polished into cremation diamonds.

Most of the countries in the Asia Pacific region like China and Japan have a well-developed and modern funeral industry today, allowing the bereaved to have as many post burial alternatives that fit their desires such as cremation diamonds. This post burial alternative is changing the way people view death through providing lasting solutions to some of the pitfalls in the traditional burial methods such as;

Scarce and expensive burial plots. The average cost of a funeral in Japan is around $23,000 and these prices continue to skyrocket by over 50% every year; a case in point the Aoyama cemetery in Tokyo which charges $100,000 for a traditional burial compared to the Ashes into Diamonds cost which ranges from $1,600 to a little over $17,200.
Storing cremation urns in columbaria has also become expensive over the years. These warehouses also known as columbaria contain special mourning areas where the bereaved can swipe a card with the deceased’s location; a robotic arm retrieves the urn from the vault and delivers it to the mourning area, complete with somber music, flowers and video screens showing photos of the deceased. Ruriden Columbarium which houses over 2045 LED lit Buddha statues costs $7,379 including maintenance. This is also relatively expensive compared to the Ashes to Diamonds cost.

A diamond is a precious stone consisting of a clear and colorless crystalline form of pure carbon, the hardest naturally occurring substance; Cremation diamonds eternalize your loved one into a unique tribute that lasts for generations within the family as a legacy.

Cremation Diamonds: Factors to Consider Before Ordering your Gem

Color of the cremation diamond and the choice of cuts: The Naturally amber color of cremation diamonds comes from the life element Nitrogen that makes up 3% of the human body whereas the color blue comes from the boron content. Purely Colorless cremation diamonds are created by removing nitrogen and boron from the carbon prior to making a cremation diamond from the ashes. The cremation diamond can be ordered rough, unpolished and darker with a natural feel or it can be polished with a cut of your choice i.e. Princess, Radiant, Asscher, Emerald, Heart and Brilliant. Brilliant is the most popular cut style in Australia.

Carat size of the cremation diamond: Diamonds are measured in carat (ct). One carat equals to 0.2 g (200 mg; 0.007055 oz) thus sizes of the cremation diamonds range from 0.25ct to 1.00ct. This affects the Ashes to Diamonds cost and the period required to grow the cremation diamonds.

Cremation Jewelry to frame your cremation diamond: Framing your cremation diamond gives it a new look that celebrates the persona of departed lost loved one. Any type of jewelry can be customized depending on the metal of your choice such as gold, silver and platinum from the vendor that created the cremation diamond or an independent establishment. The most popular choices in Australia are pendants, rings and earrings.

Grading and certification of the cremation diamonds: Expert vendors deliver the cremation diamond with both a certification of origin and a process analysis report documenting and proving scientifically that the cremation diamond originates from the ashes of the deceased. The production records, laboratory data, chemical analysis and physical factors can be re-verified and validated by any independent certification and quality control institute like the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the International Gemological Institute (IGI) which are the most reputable.

Some of the renowned cremation diamond companies around the world providing a wide range of products and services include;

ALGORDANZA: The company is located in Switzerland with laboratories in Domat/Ems in the region of Graubünden. Their cremation diamonds come in various cuts such as Asscher > Brilliant > Emerald > Princess > Radiant > Heart and rough. The cremation diamond sizes are available between 0.3ct and 10. ct and the ashes to diamonds cost starts at A$ 4,757 for a 0.3ct rough diamond. Algordanza only offers blue cremation diamonds.

LONITÉ: The Company is of Swiss origin with its headquarters located in downtown Zürich, Switzerland with various existing branches in major cities like Berlin in Germany, London in the UK and Buffalo in the State of New York, USA among others. Their cremation diamonds come in sizes of 0.25ct to 1.0ct but can be customized above 1 carat. LONITE has 6 different cremation diamond cuts; Brilliant > Princess > Radiant > Asscher > Emerald > Heart that come in 5 different colors; naturally amber, red, blue, greenish yellow and purely colorless. Their ashes to diamonds cost start from A$ 2,164 and can go up to A$ 23,258 depending on the characteristics of the gem. It is also possible to personalize your cremation diamond with a custom-made cremation jewelry from LONITÉ.

Heart in Diamonds: HID is a UK-based company with a laboratory located in Europe. Their cremation diamond colors are available in white, blue, orange yellow, deep red and yellow green. Their cremation diamonds sizes range from 0.015ct to 2ct in 3 available cuts; brilliant, radiant and princess. Their ashes to diamonds cost start from A$ 1,015 to A$ 22,920. HID also offer a provision for Family Plans which makes it easy to create cremation diamonds for multiple family members and at an affordable cost.

LIFEGEM: The Company is based in Chicago, USA. Their cremation diamonds are available in colorless, blue, red, yellow, and green in sizes ranging from 0.15ct to 2.0ct. The cremation diamond cuts include round, princess or radiant and the ashes to diamonds cost ranges from A$ 2,705 to A$ 32,463. Lifegem also have a provision for Family Plans to create cremation diamonds for multiple family members at an more affordable price.

Cremation Diamonds as a Safer Environmentally Friendly Funeral Alternative in Australia

Cremation diamonds are a unique tribute compared to storing ashes in an urn
The process of creating cremation diamonds is ecologically safer compared to traditional cemetery burials. Besides releasing 10% more carbon dioxide than a cremation ceremony on the long term, cemetery burials are one of the largest forms of pollution in Australia and the rest of the world at large; through regular tomb maintenance, the embalming fluids released during the embalming process and the coffin material which collectively pollute the ground waters. However, cremation diamonds creation starts with a cremation ceremony which only requires a one-time gas release as the body is being cremated after which the ashes are then kept in an urn for most of the time.

Cremation diamonds are a more honorable way to pay tribute to the deceased as opposed to simply storing their ashes in an urn forever. Diamonds are a beautiful gem that not only ensures that the legacy of your loved one lives on but also act as a tribute to the beautiful life they lived.

Other environmentally friendly alternatives like memorial trees (Planting a tree in memory of the deceased), green cremation (a process that uses water and potassium hydroxide to reduce the body to its basic element of bone ash), or ashes into a reef (this combines a cremation urn, ash scattering, and burial at sea into a permanent environmental tribute to life) are also becoming popular in Australia due to the increasing need to reduce the long time effects of environmental degradation.

With the fast changes in technology and the rise of innovations in Australia, people are more interested in finding new and improved options that are uniquely customized to fit their description of a perfect send off for a departed loved one. Cremation Diamonds allow for the bereaved to design every last detail of their gem to include as many tributes to the life of the deceased as possible thus making it an easy alternative for most Australians.