The Memorial Diamond - Everlasting Love
A symbol of love, closeness and remembrance of a lost loved one.
One of the hardest challenges we face in life is losing loved ones. The passing of someone we love, someone we care for, someone we look up to for guidance can be the most difficult time in our lives. How do we face life without them and adjust to not having them with us everyday? The special memories will last a lifetime but sometimes we need something more comforting to feel close to our lost loved one. A way to bring them along on life's journeys and adventures for the rest of our lifetime but not just in our minds.
The Diamond memorial is the most beautiful and everlasting way to remember your loved one, it is a very personal combination of mourning, memory and joy. Memorial Diamonds are timeless heirlooms that can be passed down through generations.
At Scattering Ashes we believe in Celebrating the life of a loved one and what better way to do that than with an everlasting Diamond made solely from your loved one. Many people keep hold of the ashes of a special person for many years, often unsure of what to do with them, how to part with them and even when to part with them. There is no right or wrong answer to this and we are here to help to guide you. The Memorial Diamond is the perfect way to hold your loved one close by and never have to fully part with them. A way to keep them close forever and perhaps never even telling anyone 'who' your Diamond was created from. A comforting and very personal remembrance.
We are always striving and developing our product range to bring our customers the widest range of ideas for keeping loved one's close, so here at Scattering Ashes we have decided to partner with Algordanza to bring even more unique and incredibly special ways to remember your loved one.
Like us, Algordanza has spent over 10 years researching and growing in the Memorial Industry and we are excited to work with them and bring Memorial Diamonds to the UK. Scattering Ashes through Algordanza UK bring a symbol of love created by the unique life of your loved one, which can last eternally. Together we are dedicated to care, service and transparency.
What is a Memorial Diamond?
The Diamond - The noblest of all gemstones - consists exclusively of Carbon arranged in a strong crystal formation. This arrangement of the Carbon makes the Diamond the hardest known material and a wonderfully fascinating jewel.
The Algordanza Memorial Diamond is solely made from the Carbon of your beloved person's cremated remains, hair or personal items. Carbon is the element of life. Every lab grown diamond is a unicum that reflects the uniqueness of the individual.
It is solely made from the Carbon isolated from the chosen Carbon source handed over to us. Natural diamonds are created under vast pressure and extreme heat deep within the earth, with our own HPHT (high pressure - high temperature) machines we are able to simulate the necessary conditions for diamond growth.
Who are Algordanza?
Algordanza are the biggest and most trusted Diamond creators in the world. 'Algordanza' means Remembrance and for over a decade they have been creating Memorial Diamonds in their own laboratories in Switzerland. Dedicated to the infinite remembrance of your loved one and using a highly complex creation process, the memorial Diamond is the outcome of their efforts to create something imperishable and equally personal.
'The Memorial Diamond is a very unique way to say farewell to a beloved person. With the utmost care, respect and discretion we allow you a new, charming way of remembrance.' - Rinaldo Willy, Owner
Our Promise
We understand that you are entrusting us with something incredibly valuable. The reverence of a beloved person is at the centre of our attention. We all work with the utmost care and caution in order to satisfy the trust and encouragement placed in us by family members.
From the moment you place your order a unique reference number will be generated, this allows us to supervise the entire process from initial consultation, to ashes reception, to the isolation of the carbon, to the finished Memorial Diamond which will be personally delivered to you. We will be here for you every step of the way and we want you to be involved in the process as much or as little as you would like, giving personal attention to detail and answering any questions throughout. You can even take a trip around the laboratory to see where your Diamond is being created, in person or virtually. Algordanza is the only Memorial Diamond expert in the world who opens their laboratory to the public. All of this helps us to guarantee transparency and discretion throughout the process.
The Beauty is in the individuality.
The Algordanza Memorial Diamond reflects the uniqueness of the deceased. EVERY Diamond created shines in exceptional yet different shades of blue. The manifestation of its uniqueness is shown in its own, individual blue colour. The colour depends on how much of the element Boron is contained within the Carbon and the Diamond. The more Boron that is present in the carbon and therefore embedded in the crystal growing of the Diamond, the darker the shade of Blue produced.
The Algordanza Memorial Diamond will also have inclusions. Each Carbon source used is unique, as your loved one was. The inclusions occur during the growing process and make the Diamond even more unique. This is what gives the individual shape of the Diamond which remains unaffected when left as a Rough Diamond.
What are Carbon Sources?
When an adult is cremated they will produce on average around 2-3lbs of ashes. When we are cremated most of the Carbon from the human body will escape as Carbon Dioxide gas but around 0.5-2.5% Carbon will remain in the ashes. To produce 1 or more Algordanza Pure Memorial Diamond we will require at least 500g of ashes.
We can also create your Memorial Diamond from hair or personal items in cases where an insufficient amount of ashes are available or if it is culturally inappropriate. Hair consists of around 51% Carbon so to create a diamond from hair we will need at least 5g.
For the Algordanza Origin Diamond we extract the carbon from two sources; one small part is extracted from the available cremated remains and the other part from hair or personal items. Personal items that would be acceptable forms of Carbon are Personal letters, diaries or pictures.
The Science.
To imitate the natural diamond growing process we need to provide a High Pressure High Temperature environment for the Carbon to grow. Once the Carbon has been isolated from your carbon source in a chemical process we are left with the graphite. This graphite is then set into a special growing cell. The growing cell creates the perfect enclosure for your Memorial Diamond to grow in undisturbed.
The growing cell is exposed to extremely high pressures and temperature in the HPHT machines where the graphite structure grows slowly into your Diamond. The larger you want the diamond, the longer the growing cell needs to stay in the HPHT press.
At the end of the required duration of growth for the Diamond size you have chosen, the growing cell is removed from the press. The growing cell is carefully opened layer by layer to reveal the stunning rough Diamond.
Depending on the finish you have chosen for your Memorial Diamond, this is then polished and cut (if necessary). Cutting and polishing a Diamond is a skilled craft and is completed by experienced craftsmen by hand. If the Rough Diamond finish has been chosen Algordanza will only polish the Diamond on the one side to smooth the sharp edges.
Diamond Cuts and Carat
Your Algordanza Memorial Diamond is manufactured individually to your request. The size is based on the weight (Carat) of the Diamond produced and this can range from 0.3 Carat to 1 Carat. There is also the option of Family Diamonds where a set of 3 or 4 Diamonds can be created at the same time with the one set of Ashes. These would all be finished in a Brilliant cut.
When it comes to the cutting of your Diamond, we entrust your personal Memorial Diamond to only the most expert Diamond cutters. You can choose your preferred cut from 6 options or decide to leave your Diamond uncut (Rough) leaving the Diamonds form unique, just like the person it was grown from.
Authenticity Guaranteed
To make your Memorial Diamond even more personal we can engrave an individual message (on request) into the Diamond. This will be laser engraved along with the Algordanza signet and the unique reference number that was issued at the very beginning of the process. The laser inscription is only visible under a microscope with a magnification of at least 30 times.
Every stage of our dedicated service is extensively documented. Each Algordanza Memorial Diamond is given a Certificate containing information about the origin of the carbon and authenticity as well as other characteristics of the unique Memorial Diamond. Each certificate is personally signed by Rinaldo Willy, the founder of Algordanza.
Personal and Dedicated Service
We are dedicated to providing a personal 1 to 1 service from the moment you make your initial enquiry to the day you hold your precious Memorial Diamond in your hand. We are here to answer your questions and show you the progress of your Diamond creation throughout.
On completion, your Memorial Diamond can either be personally picked up by family members or it will be shipped by a secure courier. It is then at your discretion as to how you keep your Diamond, either in it's Diamond case or it can be set into a bespoke jewellery item. This does not have to be decided at the time, you may choose to keep hold of your Diamond for a while and maybe have it set into a special piece of jewellery at a later date, we are here to offer whatever guidance you require.
Setting
Once your Diamond has been created, cut and polished you may wish for it to be set into an item of jewellery. This is not limited to rings, you could set it into earrings, a pendant or even a brooch. We work with some extremely talented jewellers that could even use old jewellery from a loved one to create a new piece for you. This would make for an even more symbolic memorial jewellery item by adding in the Memorial Diamond.
However, if you wish to just hold on to your memorial Diamond before making any decisions about setting then that is fine to do. All Algordanza Memorial Diamonds come in a beautiful presentation box where your diamond is on show and this can just be kept in your possession and looked upon for comfort. Then if you decide in the future that the time is right for it to be set into jewellery than that can happen at a later date, there is no rush.
Something OLD, Something NEW, Something BORROWED, Something BLUE
Algordanza Diamonds are made solely using Carbon but this is not limited to remembering someone who has passed. Synthetic Diamonds can be made using the carbon from hair, this could be the hair of your future Husband or Wife. With the joining of two hearts through Marriage you could also mark the joining of lives by combining hair of the two partners to create beautiful Diamonds to set in the wedding bands. This way you can create your 'something new' and 'something blue' from 'something old' and 'something borrowed'.
You may even wish to share your day with a loved one who has passed, someone who you would have loved to have been present on the day you say 'I do'. Creating your Algordanza Memorial Diamond can be a comforting way to have someone very close by on the biggest day of your life. You can have your Diamond set into a brooch, earrings or maybe even a pendant to wear on your special day.
Religious beliefs preventing the use of ashes
As previously mentioned, the Carbon sources needed to create your Memorial Diamond is not limited to just the ashes of a loved one. Algordanza Memorial Diamonds can be created using hair from a loved one or even treasured, personal items. Some religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism require the ashes of a person to stay together as a whole and be scattered in water following cremation. In these cases hair and personal items can be collected and used as the carbon source for the Memorial Diamond.
There are other religions that do not even allow bodies to be cremated. Muslim and Jewish traditions feel very strongly that the cremation is disrespectful towards the human body and therefore would only likely be able to use the carbon from personal items to create their Memorial Diamond.
In the present modern day we are seeing more people from a Religious background have a more relaxed view on using or splitting their loved one's ashes. But for those who still follow Religious guidance and are not comfortable with separating the ashes, this is the perfect solution to still make beautiful memorial jewellery without using any of their beloved's ashes.
IN THE PRESS
Algordanza have been recognised in the news since they began back in 2004. If you are looking for the best and most trusted Diamond creator in the world then have a read of what some of the biggest journalists have to say...
Swiss Company Algordanza Makes Diamonds Out of Human Cremated Ashes (ibtimes.com.au)
How to Turn Dead People Into Diamonds (businessinsider.com)
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