Diamonds may be seen as a hot commodity these days for very different reasons than once before thought. The precious gem is being manufactured from no other than – human remains! Algordanza, a Swiss company, is revolutionizing the cremation industry and offering families the option to turn their loved one’s cremated remains into beautiful diamonds. Their process involves taking the remains, applying extremely high heat and pressure, mimicking similar conditions elemental carbon undergoes deep within the Earth to form diamonds.

The company’s founder and CEO, Rinaldo Willy, created the procedure almost two decades ago. And, since then, his customer base has gone from a few clients to thousands of clients spread out over 24 countries.

Every year they work with between 800 and 900 families to better understand their wishes in terms of how to handle their loved one’s remains. They carefully take the ashes and after about three months later, the diamonds are created. It generally takes one pound of ashes to create a diamond. The diamonds are jewelry grade and can be kept in a box or worn, as any commercial diamond.

Unlike the diamonds you may see at your local jeweler, diamonds made from cremains are often blue in color. This is because of the boron levels naturally found in the human body. Even with trace levels of the element, it can affect the color of the final product. In his many years of experience, Willy has seen some diamonds come out with a yellowish color, while others appear almost black. The exact explanation as to why this may happen has yet to be determined. But, it lends validity to the thought that as every person is unique in life, so too is the diamond they can form after their death.

Most of Algordanza’s current orders are from relatives of the recently deceased, however, some people have placed orders in advance for themselves and written their wishes into their will. And, with a price tag of between $5,000 and $22,000 the diamond formation process costs as much as a traditional casket funeral and burial. With the average person’s remains being enough to make 5-6 diamonds, this process could be an interesting way for loved ones to be shared among family members.

As other alternative methods of burial emerge, the popular practice of cemetery burials may become a thing of the past.

If you are considering cremation for yourself or for a loved one, the patient and caring staff at the Philadelphia Cremation Society are happy to answer all of your questions. We can also give you more insight into the process and walk you through the various burial options available. Give us a call for a free and personal consultation at (610) 572-7078.