One of the most bizarre new twists in synthesized diamonds was recently launched in the U.S., not by jewelers, but by an entrepreneuring computer consultant, Greg Herro, inventor and CEO of LifeGem. The logic behind this business goes something like this. If diamonds are carbon-based and humans are carbon-based, why not make diamonds from the `cremains' of those no longer here? Endearing the remains of a loved one however, does not come cheap. Prices start at $18,000 per carat for a synthetic yellow to $22,000 for a synthetic red.
However, as absurd as this may sound, no one is laughing at LifeGem in Elk Grove Village, Illinois with business and the phone going non-stop. Business associates of the company include jewelers, jewelry designers, undertakers and a German diamond specialist with the know-how to turn ashes into `re-marketable gems'. LifeGem offers numerous special services for its diamonds from laser inscriptions to certificates of authenticity and of course, origin. With an average body yielding approximately 50 carats, even those with very large families can now leave everyone a small remembrance, sparkling forever, just like the real thing.

www.lifegem.com


Source: Couture International Jeweler
December 02 - January 03 issue