Frequently asked questions:
How do you do it?
We take the ashes or the hair you supply and extract the carbon. With this we heat it to 1300c and compress it at 10,000 tons per sq.in. For a long time to make the diamond crystal grow to a size we can cut & polish.
Are they real?
They are absolutely genuine - and have ALL the exact same properties of natural mined diamonds but are termed 'created diamonds' or laboratory grown diamonds, they are extremely difficult to tell from their natural counterparts. These are not diamond imitations like CZ (Cubic Zirconium) or Moissanite (Silicon Carbide) or any of the other vast number of synthetics available valued at just a few pounds.
How much do they cost?
The smallest single diamond we supply is a ½ carat canary, the largest is 2 carat. Popular sizes are 0.75 (3/4) and 1 carat canary, brilliant cut, (approx' 6.5mm round) The base rate cost to date** is £5950/crt and pro-rata down the sizes. We make 0.25, 0.33, but usually 0.5, 0.75, and 1 crt diamonds. We supply 0.25 crt only in three's, 0.35crt in pairs (= 0.75crt) and we make mixtures of sizes from the same batch of ashes. **prices always have to be confirmed.
Do you really use my ashes?
We promise you, we do. With our process there is no chance of a mix-up, there is an audit trail all the way through all the 15 processes – right to delivery.
What colours can you make?
We usually make natural canary
yellow and a free-range of blue
(Aqua to royal blue) but we have
also made white with a slight
blue hue, also pink, red and
green by processing the crystal.
Is the diamond Flawless?
Even natural diamonds have flaws, so the straight answer has to be “No”. Just as in nature, our man-made diamonds sometimes have tiny flaws or 'inclusions' but in our case we cannot 'cherry pick'. The material you donate is as unique as is the resultant diamond, we do not know how the raw diamond crystal will turn out until the process is complete. The very experienced cutter avoids such inclusions and flaws as much as possible and the highly polished 'brilliant cut' allows all the flare and fire to flash from the beautiful diamond.
Can we see the process?
Very sorry – NO!! We take the greatest care in securing the plant, your donations, the processing and the resultant diamond. Besides there are 15 processes done in different locations over 13 weeks.
How long does it take?
For Canary, usually about 12-15 weeks from start to finish. For natural Blue's a lot longer.
How do I order?
After enquiries by e-mail or 'phone, we usually send out a sales pack which has all that is required. Sometimes we receive orders from people who have simply downloaded the order form and followed instructions. For any assistance you can always call us between 0900 and 2100 Monday to Saturday.
Can I cancel?
We allow 14 days 'cooling off' as a courtesy – after which we have to make a 5% charge. We also have to charge much more if the order is way beyond reasonable cancellation – as we do not wish to be left with a diamond made from someone else's loved-one that we morally cannot sell.
What else do you supply?
We don't only make diamonds.
We have designed a unique
'memorial windchime' made in
real crystal. Ashes or hair
(turned into carbon) is
embedded into hand drawn
molten crystal in the form of
'icicles' in stunning colours. The
resultant tinkle is fabulous which
is generated from an engraved
wind-catcher. To read more and hear the chimes go to
memorial-windchimes.com
We also supply 'Memorial Jewellery – which is also termed 'hollow-ware', in which ashes are installed of loved-ones and then sealed. These are in solid Sterling Silver and also 14 carat heavy gold plate.
