“Ashes to ashes, dust to diamond…”
Since 2003 the Swiss company Algordanza (a name that means “souvenir” in the Romansch language) has been offering an unusual service. One can opt to have a deceased friend or family member transformed into a synthetic diamond. It only takes 500 grams of human ashes to produce a 1-carat diamond. (Permission must be obtained from the Geographical National Institute of Switzerland.) This somewhat unusual way of trying to achieve immortality is no hocus-pocus. Extensive trials were performed with animal ashes.
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Photo Algordanza
The metamorphosis proceeds as follows. The carbon contained in a human body is separated from other non-organic elements and is then subjected to 1300° C of heat and 60000 bars of pressure. The process precisely mirrors how diamonds are created in nature. The color of the resulting diamond can range from transparent to pale blue, as individual as the person it came from. If you need proof that your loved-one has become full-carat, then it is possible to check the authenticity of the diamond with a laser. It takes 8 weeks and 17,000 euros to be able to wear your dearly departed around your neck.
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Photo visual-research.com
There are an increasing number of people who feel this is worth it. As one widow says, she feels that her husband is close to her heart. Perhaps in an era of decreasing religious feeling these unique diamond services may seem almost like a miraculous form of reincarnation. However, a loss of this kind of necklace or ring would certainly be irreplaceable.
