When it comes to buying diamonds, most people immediately think about heading to the jewelry story, but diamonds can also serve as an excellent way to remember someone who has passed on. Memorial diamonds are created in a lab from the cremated remains of a loved one. So how do mined diamonds differ from diamonds made from ashes? The differences are not quite as significant as you might expect.
How are diamonds made?
The Smithsonian explains that mined diamonds are made deep within the Earth’s crust about 100 miles below the surface. They are formed when carbon is placed under the immense amount of pressure in the crust. Rock that’s on top of the carbon presses down hard in the part of the mantle where temperatures are extremely high. The combination of intense pressure and high temperatures form diamonds from carbon. Diamonds then travel closer to the surface of the Earth by a very deep volcanic eruption that occurred eons ago.
Diamonds made from ashes are created in a lab using the same ingredients as mined diamonds: carbon, intense pressure and high temperatures. The result is a man-made diamond created using an artificial process that mimics the natural process.
It’s important to note that man-made diamonds are different than simulated diamonds. The most common type of simulated diamond is cubic zirconium. Cubic zirconium and other types of simulated diamonds are not even made from the same materials as mined diamonds, while man-made diamonds made from carbon are.
While many believe man-made diamonds aren’t as good as mined diamonds, they can be better in some ways. For example, it’s often possible to get a man-made diamond with fewer flaws than mined diamonds.
How memorial diamonds are made
Memorial diamonds are made by extracting carbon from cremated remains and then subjecting them to high temperatures and immense pressure. Many people choose to have memorial diamonds made from the cremated remains of their loved ones because it enables them to keep the person they lost close to them.
Having memorial diamonds made is often cheaper than having a traditional funeral and burial. Memorial diamonds can cost between $2,200 and $9,000, while a traditional funeral and burial usually costs in excess of $10,000.
Memorial diamonds are also a less expensive way to get colored diamonds, especially orange-yellow stones, because they are very rare in nature. They can also be made in blue, red and yellow-green. Although white memorial diamonds aren’t cheaper than mined white diamonds, they are unique because they’re made from the cremated remains of a loved one.
