Deciding to create a cremation diamond means your loved one was truly remarkable. This isn't just a memorial; it's a celebration for a life too vibrant to be kept on a shelf. The ashes to diamonds process is a beautiful and scientific way of turning ashes into diamonds—transforming a final goodbye into a daily hello. It’s for the special few you can’t imagine life without. This is about carrying their unique sparkle with you, always, creating a tribute you can touch, wear, and share.
It's important to realize that lab-grown diamonds and cremation diamonds are very different – and the processes to make them are, too. Of course, the reasons people choose to grow diamonds from cremains or hair are very different as well.
There is also a lot more you need to think about when it comes to picking a memorial diamond company. Can I trust them with my loved one? Are they doing this process legitimately and transparently? Do they have a good chain of custody protocol for handling remains?
Keep reading to learn more about the cremation diamond process, what to watch out for when it comes to memorial diamonds and how to select a good company, FAQs, and more.
How We Turn Ashes into Diamonds: A Step-by-Step Guide
While Eterneva is now the market leader and most established company for turning ashes into diamonds, we were not the first. We chose to start this company after our founder Adelle lost someone she really loves - her mentor Tracey - and learned that you could do this process. She fell in love with the idea and knew she had to honor Tracy this way, but when she went to research the other memorial diamond companies out there and began the process, she didn’t find any that she felt like she could trust.
She was asking questions like “Where are your labs located?” and “How do you prove that Tracey’s ashes are going into the Diamond?” and was concerned when no one wanted to answer these questions. Their processes felt like a bit of a black box, which was disconcerting to her when contemplating sending her most precious person away.
So that inspired Adelle and her co-founder Garrett to start Eterneva, because they felt this option had to exist and be done in a way that is both personal and transparent; Where families would know exactly where their loved ones are, visit the lab, know what’s happening at each step, and see the memorial diamond process first-hand so there was trust and peace of mind.
The Memorial Diamond Industry: A Brief History
The idea of creating a diamond from the ashes of a loved one might sound like science fiction, but it's a real and beautiful process that has been developing for a couple of decades. The technology itself isn't brand new; scientists have been able to create diamonds in a lab since the 1950s by replicating the high-pressure, high-temperature conditions found deep within the Earth. The innovation came when companies realized this same science could be applied in a deeply meaningful way—by using the carbon from a loved one's ashes or hair as the foundation for a new, unique diamond. This transformed a scientific process into a powerful form of remembrance.
The journey from ashes to a diamond is a meticulous one. After cremation, a small but significant amount of carbon remains in the ashes. This carbon is carefully extracted and purified. It's then placed into a specialized machine that mimics the earth's natural diamond-growing environment, subjecting the carbon to immense pressure and heat. Over several months, the carbon atoms begin to bond and crystallize, slowly forming a one-of-a-kind raw diamond. Each diamond's color and characteristics are unique to the individual's carbon signature, making it a truly personal tribute that you can hold, wear, and cherish forever.
Key Milestones and Companies
The memorial diamond industry began in the early 2000s, with a company called LifeGem pioneering the service in 2001. Soon after, other companies like the Swiss-based Algordanza entered the field, focusing on documenting the process and promising to use only the carbon from the provided ashes. While these early companies established the technical possibility, the focus was primarily on the end product. The emotional journey of the family was often overlooked, leaving a gap for a more compassionate and transparent approach to this deeply personal experience.
This is where Eterneva changed the conversation. We saw the need for a service that not only created a beautiful diamond but also supported families through their grief. We introduced the idea of a "Diamond Journey," providing monthly updates, photos, and videos so you are connected to the process every step of the way. Our commitment to transparency and our standards means you never have to wonder where your loved one is or what's happening. By opening the doors to our Austin lab, we created a space for healing and trust, ensuring the entire experience honors the remarkable life it represents.
How the Ashes to Diamonds Process Works
Each memorial diamond is custom-made with precision and care, one at a time. Unlike mass-produced lab diamonds from India, ours are individually crafted in high-tech labs in Germany and Texas to ensure top quality and full transparency.
Here is how the memorial diamond process works, high-level:
- Extracting Carbon: We isolate the carbon from the ashes or hair. We’ll film your ashes going in for purification and reveal the carbon coming out for quality assurance.
- A Rough Diamond Emerges: Through a custom, individualized process of heat and pressure in a controlled environment, your loved one's carbon will grow into a rough, raw diamond. We’ll reveal their post-growth transformation.
- Cut, Graded, & Certified by Masters: Your loved one’s memorial diamond is cut by hand, quality inspected at every stage, graded and engraved by our GIA diamond grader. Our team of jewelry designers can also help you select or design the perfect setting (optional).
- An Unforgettable Homecoming: The return of your loved one’s diamond is a special day, so we make sure everyone is carefully and thoughtfully delivered.
Your loved one's carbon is unique, so we carefully tailor the experience to suit it. It begins with extracting ultra-pure carbon from their ashes or hair. Then, using the same forces found in nature—heat, pressure, and time—our scientists carefully tailor the process to grow a real memorial diamond of exceptional quality.
Once formed, our master cutters inspect the raw diamond to ensure we avoid any visible inclusions and then hand-polish it on a diamond wheel to the optimal size, clarity, and brilliance.
Then, our in-house GIA-certified Diamond Grader evaluates it using the Eterneva Diamond Report, ensuring full transparency and verifying it as a genuine diamond. If you’ve chosen a colored diamond, it may go through an additional coloration process before grading.
If you choose to have the diamond set, we'll introduce you to one of our jewelry designers, who can guide you in selecting a piece from our Curated Collection or help custom-design an heirloom piece that tells your loved one’s story.
Every step of our process is documented and shared with you so you can trust in the care and precision we take.
Step 1: Isolating Your Loved One's Carbon
When you send in your loved one’s ashes or hair, the first step of the process is to purify them into carbon in the form of graphite. This is the carbon we will use to grow their diamond.
What Can Be Used to Create a Diamond?
We can make a new cremation diamond out of any material that contains carbon, so there are quite a lot of special and meaningful options to create your loved one’s diamond from! While a lot of our families are using their loved one’s ashes, we can also extract the carbon from hair or items of personal significance like cards, clothing, pet leashes, or toys, etc. You can even contribute a bit of your hair, so you and your loved one are together in a diamond!
How Much Ash or Hair Is Required?
To begin the journey, we ask for ½ cup of ashes or about 10 grams of hair. This specific amount ensures we have enough raw material to extract the necessary carbon for your loved one's diamond. It’s important to know that this is only a small portion of the total ashes, so you can still keep the remainder in an urn or scatter them in a meaningful place. The science behind the process is precise, and this quantity allows our lab technicians to successfully isolate and purify the carbon that will become the heart of the diamond. If you don't have enough ashes, using hair is a wonderful alternative, and we can even combine sources to create a truly unique memorial.
Safely Sending the Ashes with a Welcome Kit
We understand that sending your loved one’s remains is a significant and emotional step, built on a foundation of trust. To make this process as secure and stress-free as possible, we send you a Welcome Kit. This kit contains everything you need to safely package the ashes or hair, including secure containers, tools for transfer, and detailed instructions. It also includes a pre-paid, trackable shipping label to our lab in Austin, Texas. This isn't just about logistics; it's the first step in our promise of complete transparency. From the moment it leaves your hands, you can follow your loved one's journey, ensuring their safety and giving you peace of mind. Our commitment to our standards begins with this very first step.
Is There Enough Carbon in Ashes for a Diamond?
Yes, there is! While some elemental carbon is burned off during the cremation process, ashes contain 1-4% carbon after the cremation process, mostly in the form of carbonates. From ½ a cup of ashes (5% of an adult person’s cremated ashes), we can extract more than enough carbon to grow 5-6 diamonds.
We offer free third-party carbon testing upon request, where families can send a sample of their loved one’s ashes to an accredited third-party analytical chemistry lab to provide a report that measures and reports levels of organic and inorganic carbon in their cremation ashes before starting the process.
We also provide video updates of your loved one’s ashes going into the crucible and being sealed pre-purification, and then we open the crucible on video as well to unveil the resulting carbon.
What Our Purification Process Includes
Our process includes state-of-the-art carbon purification and HPHT growth technology. This is for families seeking a permanent, physical connection to a loved one. Pricing is based on carat size and color, starting with a transparent down payment. Unlike others, Eterneva provides a dedicated concierge and monthly video updates, ensuring you are part of the journey from ashes to diamond.
How does our purification process work?
Because cremation diamonds are made of carbon, all other elements must be burned off in the purification process.
We use a two stage process to purify carbon using high heat in a zero oxygen environment. The first step uses a halogen gas to break down carbonates and phosphates. In the second stage, the partially purified carbon is heated above 4,700°F to vaporize the remaining elements leaving only pure carbon in the form of graphite. The result: 99.95% pure carbon, essential for growing high quality genuine diamonds.
This is what the elemental carbon looks like once it has been purified:
Step 2: Growing the Diamond
After Purification, the personal carbon is refined into a super, super fine powder, blended with generic carbon, and compressed into a carbon disc, which is the starter material for your loved one’s diamond.
Will the diamond contain only personal carbon?
No, your loved one’s carbon will comprise 10-15% of the diamond. The reason we don’t use 100% personal carbon is for the sake of quality. While we achieve a very high purity level during purification (99.995%), there are still impurities that exist in personal carbon that can cause inclusions or lead to failed growth.
Memorial diamonds' growth is completely contained within a pressure and heat-insulating growth cell, so no personal carbon can be burned off during the process. Your loved one’s personal carbon is therefore distributed all throughout their diamond, much like ashes in a memorial glass.
The Role of Generic Carbon in Diamond Growth
To create the best possible environment for your loved one's diamond to form, we blend their purified carbon with generic, lab-grade carbon. Think of this generic carbon as a catalyst that helps the diamond grow strong and clear. Even after our intensive purification process, which gets the personal carbon to 99.995% purity, tiny, naturally-occurring impurities remain. These unique elements are what can give a diamond its color, but they can also cause flaws or even prevent the diamond from growing successfully. By adding the generic carbon, we create the ideal conditions for your loved one's unique carbon to crystallize into a beautiful, high-quality gem. Their personal carbon is distributed throughout the entire diamond, becoming an integral part of its structure, much like how ashes are swirled into memorial glass. This entire scientific process happens inside a sealed growth cell, ensuring not a single particle of their carbon is lost.
Creating the Diamond Growth Cell
The growth cell is built with layers of heat and pressure insulating materials, which we actually produce in-house to maximize quality control and success rates.
Inside the cell, we place a carbon disc and a diamond seed, which acts as a formation site for the carbon to attach to, much like how a pearl forms around a grain of sand. The diamond seed is made from generic carbon only and will be removed during cutting.
The growth cell also contains a metal alloy, which liquifies under extreme heat, dissolving the carbon disc and reforming the carbon atoms one by one in a crystal structure starting from the seed.
How We Grow Your Memorial Diamond
Once the growth cell is ready, it is placed into a High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT) machine.
HPHT growth creates pressure and temperature conditions similar to those of the Earth's mantle in a controlled environment. This requires the machine and growth cell to generate pressures of 6 to 8 GPa and temperatures between 2,200 to 2,500 °C.
Cremation diamonds are made from carbon, just like coal and pencil lead. The difference lies in the heat, pressure, and molecular bonding pattern of the carbon. That's why our diamond scientists closely monitor each diamond’s growth, fine-tuning pressure and temperature to stay in the ideal zone for single crystal growth. Since every person's carbon is unique, we often need to adjust and tailor our growth recipes to the individual.
The diamond colors that can be grown directly in the machine are colorless, blue, and yellow. We’ll get into that more into how that works in the Coloration section below.
The size of a diamond is not determined by the amount of ashes or carbon, but rather the length of time the diamond is growing in the machine.
The difficulty of quality crystal growth is exponentially greater at larger sizes. At Eterneva, we always prioritize quality over speed, so we intentionally slow our growth cycles down to reduce the risk of inclusions.
All memorial diamonds will have naturally occurring inclusions, with the three most common being:
- Metallic fragments from the metal alloy in the growth cell
- Areas of uncrystallized carbon
- Void or feather
Before going to cutting, we will inspect your loved one’s diamond and map out how we will cut the diamond to reach our target size and clarity while avoiding inclusions.
The Science of HPHT Diamond Creation
The High-Pressure, High-Temperature (HPHT) machine is where the real transformation happens. This incredible technology replicates the conditions deep within the Earth's mantle, where natural diamonds are formed over billions of years. Inside the machine, your loved one's carbon is subjected to immense pressure—around 850,000 pounds per square inch—and extreme heat, reaching up to 2,500°C. These forces encourage the carbon atoms to break their existing bonds and rearrange themselves into the strong, crystalline structure that defines a diamond. It’s a process that combines raw power with scientific precision, all happening within a highly controlled environment.
It’s amazing to think that cremation diamonds are made from the same element as coal or the graphite in a pencil. The only difference is the intense heat, pressure, and the resulting molecular bonding pattern of the carbon. Because every person's carbon composition is unique, our diamond scientists closely monitor each diamond’s growth. They carefully fine-tune the pressure and temperature to maintain the perfect conditions for a high-quality crystal to form. We intentionally slow down our growth cycles, prioritizing quality over speed, which is especially important for larger diamonds and helps reduce the risk of natural imperfections.
Ensuring the Highest Quality Lab Diamond
Lab-created diamond technology has come leaps and bounds in the last two decades, now capable of growing some of the highest quality jewelry-grade diamonds on the market today, achieving consistently high color and clarity grades.
Our Commitment to Quality
We invest significant resources every year in research & development so we can ensure our families' diamonds are the best they can be, and we’re the only cremation diamond company offering quality guarantees.
We guarantee our families a minimum of SI2 clarity (meaning you can’t see visible inclusions), but the majority of our memorial diamonds end up in the VS to VVS clarity range, which is in the top 5-15% of diamonds.
If, for any reason, we don’t meet our guaranteed standards, we will offer to grow a second diamond, with both being sent home to your family.
What Makes a Memorial Diamond Different?
Regular lab-grown diamonds are primarily mass-produced in low-cost geographies, whereas memorial diamonds are individually custom-made to exact specifications.
Regular lab-grown diamonds are primarily mass-produced in India due to the low cost of labor and heavy Indian governmental subsidies. These machines are capable of growing upwards of 100 cremation diamonds in a machine cycle at a time. Once grown, producers will cut the best diamonds they can get and sell them at a commoditized market value.
Memorial diamonds are made to order, with families choosing the exact color and size upfront, and clarity guarantees must be met. Each one is grown individually from custom personal carbon, requiring a tailored process. Unlike mass-produced lab diamonds, ours are crafted one at a time in Germany and Texas, which is why they cost more.
Difference in Diamond Growing Machines & Technologies
Most lab-grown diamonds are created in a Carbon Vapor Deposition (CVD) machine, where up to 100+ diamonds can be grown at once. CVD is particularly well-suited for large-diamond synthesis (above 2 carats).
Can CVD Be Used for Memorial Diamonds?
Yes, Eterneva is the first and only company capable of creating memorial diamonds using CVD technology. This required us to develop a proprietary method of carbon conversion to convert personal carbon graphite to methane gas, which is the necessary input to CVD.
Our CVD machines are far smaller than industry standards, custom-built and fitted for our unique purpose of growing one order at a time from a personal carbon source.
The structure of a CVD diamond looks much different than an HPHT diamond. CVD diamonds grow from a thin square seed plate, stacking carbon atoms in a thin layer after layer, resulting in a cubic block.
Close-up of a laboratory setting showing square CVD diamond plates on a metal surface, with tweezers lifting one diamond seed used for growing memorial diamonds layer by layer.
HPHT Machine Technologies
There are three types of HPHT machines:
- Bars Press
- Cubic Press
- Toroid Machines
All machine types attain the same high temperature and pressure needed to create a diamond - the difference is how they apply the pressure. HPHT machines are primarily used for one-diamond-at-a-time synthesis.
At our German facility, we use BARS presses, and at our Texas facility, we use Toroid presses, and we find that different machine types are better suited to specialize in different sizes and colors.
Step 3: Cutting and Polishing the Diamond
Once the raw diamond is finished growing, it is now time to cut the diamond to the proper shape.
Our master cutters will inspect the rough diamond and use mapping technology to ensure the target size, shape, and clarity can be met, free of visible inclusions.
“Cutting” a diamond is a bit of a misnomer since cremation diamonds are actually more shaped by hand on a diamond wheel. Our Master Cutters have 25+ years of experience and are expert artisans in shaping a diamond to avoid inclusions and imperfections and maximizing clarity and brilliance.
How a Diamond is Cut and Polished
- Step 1: Inspection
- Step 2: Creating the Table (Top of the Diamond)
- Step 3: Brooding (Cutting)
- Step 4: Polish Facets (Shaping)
- Step 5: Final Polish
What happens to the extra shards of diamond after cutting?
Diamonds aren't cut piece by piece but rather they're shaped on a wheel, much like a piece of wood is sanded down into its final shape.
Choosing a Diamond Cut
There are a variety of different shapes or cuts that you can choose for your loved one’s diamond. Here are the classic shapes we offer:
- Round: This is the most popular shape, with 70% of families choosing a round. The Round Brilliant cut has the most amount of facets, so it is a very sparkly cut.
- Cushion: This shape also has a lot of facets, making it a very sparkly cut. It has a classically square shape with rounded edges.
- Asscher: The asscher cut is also a square shape but features a step cut, where you can see more clearly into the diamond.
- Emerald: This shape is rectangular with a clean step cut for a timeless look
- Radiant: This shape has a blend of step cuts with facets, so it sparkles a bit more than a typical emerald. The radiant can be a square or rectangular shape
- Heart: This is a very special shape for a memorial diamond and contains a nice amount of facets, so it will sparkle. Because of the “V” at the top and the point at the bottom, you will lose some carat weight with this cut, and it will weigh about 75% of the carat weight as compared to one of the cuts above.
Put simply, if you’d like a sparkly diamond, you might opt for:
- Round
- Cushion
- Radiant
For a more timeless cut then:
- Emerald
- Asscher
Other specialty cuts are technically feasible, but may result in carat weight loss. Reach out to us to inquire about the feasibility of select specialty cuts.
Exploring Different Diamond Shapes
Choosing the shape of your loved one's diamond is a beautiful way to reflect their unique personality. The cut determines how the diamond interacts with light, influencing its brilliance and overall character. We offer several classic shapes, each with its own distinct style. If you're looking for maximum sparkle, the Round, Cushion, and Radiant cuts are wonderful choices. For a more understated and classic feel, the Emerald and Asscher cuts are perfect. You can view our gallery to see how these beautiful shapes look in finished rings, pendants, and other settings, which can help you picture the perfect tribute for your remarkable person.
- Round: The most popular for a reason, the Round Brilliant has the most facets, creating an incredible sparkle that catches the light from every angle.
- Cushion: A classic square shape with soft, rounded corners. The Cushion cut also has many facets, giving it a beautiful, fiery brilliance.
- Asscher & Emerald: For a timeless, elegant look, the Asscher (square) and Emerald (rectangular) cuts feature clean, step-like facets. This style creates a window-like effect, offering a clear view into the heart of the diamond.
- Radiant: This cut combines the clean lines of an Emerald shape with the sparkle of a brilliant cut, offering the best of both worlds.
- Heart: A deeply symbolic choice, the Heart shape is a special way to honor your love. It has plenty of facets for sparkle, but it's good to know that creating this unique shape can result in a slightly smaller carat weight compared to other cuts.
Step 4: Grading, Certifying, and Personalizing
Each cremation diamond receives a final diamond grading report. That report details the cut, clarity, color, and carat of the diamond according to the GIA diamond grading scale.
Understanding Your Diamond Grading Report
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is the most well-respected organization for diamond grading, but their reports were not designed with a memorial or personal carbon use case in mind. They report the 4 C’s, but they don’t disclose the personal carbon source(s) used to grow the diamond.
We believe this is of utmost importance because if ever a diamond were to be lost or stolen, we would want to ensure it can be identified as a memorial diamond and traced back to its rightful owner, versus being tied to a standard diamond certificate and resold on a secondary market.
For that reason, we developed an Eterneva Diamond Grading Report to disclose both diamond specs & carbon sources. Every diamond is graded by our certified GIA Diamond Grader.
What Does the Clarity Grade Mean?
- I (1,2) – “Included” You can visibly see inclusions with the naked eye
- SI (1,2) – “Slightly Included” There may be inclusions that are visible, but they are very difficult to see with the naked eye and likely need a trained eye to spot
- VS (1,2) – “Very Slightly Included” inclusions need at least 10x magnification to be seen
- VVS (1,2) – “Very Very Slightly Included” Same as above but 20x magnification
- IF – “Internally Flawless” There are zero defects (only about 0.1% or less of diamonds get this grade)
What Does the Cut Grade Mean?
Cut is the most important of the 4Cs (cut, clarity, color, and carat) because it has the greatest influence on a diamond's sparkle/brilliance.
The cut grade is based on the proportions and angles of the facets and ratios of the depth to diameter. When diamond cuts are made with the proper proportions, light is returned out of the top of the diamond (referred to as the Table). If the cuts are too shallow, light leaks out of the bottom; if they are too deep, light escapes out of the side.
Diamond Cut Grading Scale
- Poor/Fair: Will appear dull or glassy
- Good: Reflects most light (this is an “ok” grade)
- Very Good: Nearly an ideal cut but slightly off
- Ideal: only about 3% receive this grade; all angles and proportions are within 1 degree of perfect
- Astor Ideal: Less than 1% get this grade, which is considered a “perfect” cut
Personalization Options like Laser Inscription
To make your loved one’s diamond even more personal, you can add a microscopic laser inscription to its girdle—the thin outer edge of the stone. This inscription is invisible to the naked eye but can be seen with a jeweler's loupe, making it a private, intimate detail. It’s a beautiful way to add a final touch, like a name, a special date, or a short phrase that was meaningful to you both. This small detail transforms their diamond from a beautiful stone into a deeply personal tribute that carries a hidden message of love. It’s a secret shared between you and them, a permanent reminder of your unique bond etched into the very heart of their memorial.
At Eterneva, we see this step as crucial for both sentimental and practical reasons. We inscribe each diamond with a unique identifier that links back to its grading report, which details not only the 4Cs but also the personal carbon sources used in its creation. This is incredibly important because if the diamond were ever lost, it could be identified as a memorial diamond and returned to you, rather than being resold on the open market. It’s one more layer of security and transparency that ensures your loved one’s diamond is protected and honored for the priceless memorial it is.
Step 5: Choosing Your Diamond's Color
This is the stage where we transform the color of the cremation diamond to its intended color. Diamonds can be grown within the HPHT machine as colorless (pure carbon), blue (includes added boron), or yellow (includes added nitrogen).
Note that a yellow or blue diamond will appear darker when in rough form versus cut form. We need to cut into the diamond to reveal its true color.
To create other colors, you can go through an additional irradiation coloration process, which will transform a colorless or yellow diamond into colors like:
- Red
- Pink
- Green
- Black
While we can generally aim for a lighter or darker hue of each color, the exact hue of each color is going to be unique to each loved one.
What Determines a Memorial Diamond's Natural Color?
A memorial diamond's color comes from its unique creation process and the specific elements involved. Some colors, like colorless, blue, and yellow, are formed directly as the diamond grows inside a High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT) machine. A stunning blue diamond, for example, gets its hue from the element boron, while a warm yellow diamond is created when nitrogen is part of the process. The unique chemical signature within your loved one's ashes can influence these subtle variations, making the final hue as unique as they were. For other vibrant colors like red, pink, or green, the diamond goes through an additional irradiation coloration process after it has been grown. It’s also helpful to know that a diamond’s true, brilliant color is only revealed after it’s cut and polished; in its raw form, it will look much darker.
How We Create Colored Diamonds
- Controlled radiation (electron bombardment) reacts with trace elements to alter the color structure of diamond
- All diamond colors can be achieved through this process
- The final color is highly dependent on trace element composition
- Pink and Green yield the best results with very low nitrogen content
- Red and Black can start from a darker yellow with higher nitrogen content
Examples of Cut, Colored, and Set Eterneva Diamonds:
The Color Grade
Colorless diamonds and colored diamonds are graded differently.
Colorless diamonds follow the chart below and are graded D-Z along a colorless to light scale:
Colored diamonds are graded along a scale of faint to fancy vivid:
Step 6: Welcoming Your Diamond Home
Once the diamond is grown, cut, colored, graded, and optionally set, it’s finally time to arrange for Homecoming, which is the day your diamond comes home!
This is an incredibly special day. Many people throw small parties or get-togethers with friends and family as support. They may also film their diamond unboxing so they can remember and create a positive core memory around this special day. If families are open to sharing their stories, we love to see these Homecoming videos and help them celebrate their loved one on social media.
Memorial Diamonds vs. Other Memorial Jewelry
When you’re looking for a way to keep a loved one close, you’ll find many options for memorial jewelry. It’s a deeply personal choice, and understanding the key differences can help you find the tribute that feels right for you. While some jewelry is designed to hold a small portion of ashes, a memorial diamond is fundamentally different. It’s not a container for your loved one; it’s a complete transformation of their very essence into a beautiful, lasting gemstone. This process creates a new, tangible form of them that you can hold, wear, and cherish forever.
Ashes Infused in Jewelry
Many types of memorial jewelry, such as pendants or rings, are designed with a small, hollow compartment to hold a portion of ashes or a lock of hair. This is a beautiful way to keep a physical part of your loved one with you. However, the ashes simply rest *inside* the piece. In contrast, a memorial diamond is created from the actual carbon purified from the ashes or hair. The carbon atoms that made your loved one who they were are restructured under immense heat and pressure to form a real diamond. The diamond *is* your loved one, reborn in a new and brilliant form.
Faceted Glass Memorials
Another popular option is to have ashes swirled into molten glass, which is then shaped and faceted to resemble a gemstone. These glass memorials can be stunning, capturing a loved one’s ashes in colorful, artistic patterns. The key difference, however, is the material itself. Glass is not a diamond. It doesn’t have the same durability, brilliance, or timelessness. The process of growing a memorial diamond is a highly controlled, scientific journey that results in a genuine diamond with the same physical and chemical properties as one mined from the earth, ensuring it will last for generations.
Understanding the Cost and Timeline of a Memorial Diamond
Choosing to create a memorial diamond is a significant decision, and it’s natural to have questions about the investment and how long it takes. This isn’t a simple purchase; it’s a custom creation, a scientific process, and a deeply personal journey all in one. The cost and timeline reflect the incredible care, precision, and technology required to transform your loved one’s carbon into a one-of-a-kind diamond. Understanding these factors can help you plan for a tribute that honors their unique life and fits your needs.
Factors That Influence Pricing
The price of a memorial diamond is primarily determined by its size (carat) and color, as these factors directly impact the complexity and duration of the growth process. The base cost typically includes the entire scientific journey: carbon purification, diamond growth, expert cutting and polishing, grading, and secure delivery. You can also personalize your tribute with additional options. Many families choose to place their diamond in a custom setting, like a ring or pendant, which can be selected from a curated collection or designed from scratch. Other personal touches, like a microscopic laser inscription on the diamond’s girdle, can also be added.
Comparing Cremation Diamonds to Traditional Burials
When considering the cost, it can be helpful to compare it to more traditional end-of-life options. A conventional burial can often cost upwards of $6,500, not including ongoing expenses for plot maintenance. While a memorial diamond is a meaningful investment, its cost is often in a similar range to these traditional choices. The difference lies in the value it provides. Instead of a stationary place to visit, a diamond is a positive, beautiful heirloom that can be carried with you, shared with family, and passed down through generations, keeping your loved one’s story and sparkle alive.
Payment Plan Options
We believe that a memorial diamond should be an accessible option for anyone who wants to honor their loved one in this special way. Reputable companies understand this is a significant and often unplanned expense. That’s why flexible payment plans are available to help manage the cost over time. These plans are designed to make the process more approachable, allowing you to begin the journey of creating a beautiful tribute without financial strain. You can start the process with a down payment and spread the remaining balance over a period that works for you.
How Long Does the Process Take?
Creating a memorial diamond is a meticulous, one-at-a-time process that can’t be rushed. From the moment we receive the ashes, the entire journey typically takes several months. This timeline allows for the careful purification of carbon, the individualized growth of the raw diamond, and the precise hand-cutting and polishing by master artisans. At Eterneva, this period isn't just a waiting game; it's an experience we call the "Diamond Journey." We provide regular updates, photos, and videos at every stage, so you can follow along as your loved one is transformed. This transparent process turns the timeline into a period of healing and anticipation for their beautiful homecoming.
Why Scientists and Experts Trust Our Process
Our vision from day one was to build a company people could trust with their loved ones and set the Memorial Diamond Industry bar for transparency.
Joe Hansen from “It’s Okay to Be Smart” (8M followers on YouTube) recently visited our lab in Kerrville and did a scientific educational piece on lab-grown diamonds and memorial diamonds.
Professor Dave from “Professor Dave Explains” (3.8M followers on YouTube) also explained the science behind Cremation and Memorial Diamonds.
A huge recent honor was when Eterneva was awarded the Torch Award for Ethics by the Better Business Bureau. Here’s a great piece they did about Eterneva and our process, filmed at our lab in Kerrville:
Our Commitment to Transparency and Standards
Eterneva is one of two true US-based memorial diamond companies. Our founding team and headquarters are in Austin, Texas, and we have growth labs in Germany and Texas.
These are not geographies where the majority of lab-grown diamonds are made; most lab-grown diamond capacity is in India, China, and Russia, where labor and electricity are unregulated and cheap. This is where most memorial diamond companies outsource to reduce their costs.
Understanding Warranties and Guarantees
When you're entrusting a company with a loved one's ashes, promises aren't enough—you need solid guarantees. We stand behind our work with a firm commitment to quality. We guarantee every family a minimum of SI2 clarity, meaning you won’t see any visible inclusions. In fact, the majority of our memorial diamonds achieve a VS to VVS clarity grade, placing them in the top 5-15% of all diamonds. If for any reason a diamond doesn't meet these high standards, we will grow a second one at no cost, and both will be sent home to you. It’s our way of ensuring this tribute is as perfect as your memories.
Our commitment extends to complete transparency. Each memorial diamond receives a comprehensive grading report detailing its unique characteristics—the cut, clarity, color, and carat—all measured against the GIA diamond grading scale. We also document the personal carbon source used to create the diamond. We believe this is incredibly important. If your diamond were ever lost or stolen, this documentation helps identify it as a precious memorial and trace it back to you. This provides an extra layer of security and peace of mind for such an irreplaceable piece.
5 Red Flags to Avoid When Choosing a Provider
There are some memorial diamonds companies out there misleading consumers and cutting corners, so above all else, we want to educate people on what to look for, whether they choose to work with Eterneva or not.
Red Flag #1: Prices That Seem Too Good to Be True
We know how much it costs to do this process the right way (one diamond at a time from a personal carbon source), and there are certain pricing models being advertised that are too good to be true. Take caution - we've heard of industry players fulfilling orders with regular lab-grown diamonds (which are far cheaper).
Why HPHT Equipment Is So Expensive
The technology required to replicate the Earth's conditions for diamond growth is incredibly advanced and costly. The process involves using High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT) machines to grow a diamond from your loved one's carbon, one at a time. This isn't a mass-production operation; it's a highly personalized and scientific undertaking. The specialized equipment alone can cost around $1 million. This investment is crucial for maintaining the precision and care needed to create a high-quality memorial diamond that meets specific standards for size, color, and clarity. Unlike mass-produced lab diamonds, each memorial diamond process is tailored to the unique carbon of an individual, ensuring a truly custom creation in high-tech labs.
A Look at Competitor Pricing
When you start researching, you'll see a wide range of prices. Some companies advertise cremation diamonds for as low as $750 to $995. These lower prices are often possible because the diamonds are produced in labs in low-cost countries where oversight and transparency may be limited. While a lower price point can be appealing, it's important to ask what you're getting for that cost. The memorial diamond journey should be one of trust and peace of mind. At Eterneva, our pricing reflects our commitment to a fully transparent, US-based process, quality guarantees, and a personal experience where you receive updates every step of the way. We believe honoring your loved one is worth doing right.
Red Flag #2: Vague or Misleading Locations
There is only one other true US-based company in our space, LifeGem. Others claiming to be US based are using PO Boxes or receiving offices to represent themselves as being US based, when in fact their headquarters and facilities are in undisclosed foreign countries.
Red Flag #3: Lack of Transparency About Their Labs
Very few companies will tell you where their labs are actually located; the reason for this is that many are outsourcing production to geographies where there’s capacity, such as Russia, China, India, and Ukraine, and not disclosing to families where their loved one’s remains are going.
Red Flag #4: No Third-Party Verification
Eterneva is the only cremation diamond company with third-party accountability and oversight, given our institutional investor backing and partnerships with major enterprise funeral home groups. Our supply chain was rigorously audited by publicly-traded funeral home operators to ensure our chain of custody standards met their own.
Red Flag #5: Suspicious or Fake Customer Reviews
We've caught more than one cremation diamonds company copying our customer reviews onto their websites. Be wary of unverified customer reviews - this is why we use trusted platforms like TrustPilot so you can trust our reviews are real.
Red Flag #6: Unrealistic Timelines
When you're grieving, waiting for anything can feel agonizing. It's completely understandable to want your loved one's memorial diamond home as soon as possible. However, be cautious of companies that promise exceptionally fast turnarounds. Growing a diamond is a highly complex and delicate scientific process that simply cannot be rushed. Each memorial diamond is grown individually from a unique carbon source, requiring a tailored process that takes several months to complete correctly. A company promising a diamond in just a few weeks might be cutting corners or, even worse, not using your loved one's ashes at all.
At Eterneva, we always prioritize quality over speed. The journey to create a diamond of exceptional quality takes time, typically between 7 to 10 months from start to finish. We intentionally slow our growth cycles, especially for larger diamonds, to reduce the risk of flaws and ensure the final gem is as perfect as the memories it represents. We believe that a process this sacred deserves patience and precision. A realistic timeline is a sign of a company that respects the science and, more importantly, respects the person they are honoring. Our commitment to transparency means we keep you updated every step of the way, making the wait a meaningful part of your healing journey.
A Look Inside Our State-of-the-Art Texas Facility
We built the world’s largest memorial diamond lab in Kerrville, Texas, to allow families to see the process, meet our team, and offer unprecedented transparency.
Many families visit us to drop off their loved ones’ ashes, tour the lab, or celebrate their Loved One’s Diamond Homecoming with us. We’re highly intentional with creating personalized and special in-person experiences for our families because rituals help bring meaning in the wake of loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are cremation diamonds real diamonds?
Yes, cremation diamonds are 100% real diamonds - just custom-grown from the carbon in your loved one's ashes or hair. Our cremation diamonds are GIA graded and certified, authenticating that they are real.
Where Can I Read Eterneva Reviews?
You can read our verified customer reviews on TrustPilot and Google
How long does the cremation diamond process take?
Our cremation diamonds process on average takes between 7-12 months, with our largest sizes and select colors (like black) taking the most time. We work on one diamond at a time, and always prioritize quality over speed.
How much does it cost to turn ashes into a diamond?
Eterneva's pricing ranges from $3,499 to $75,000, and is driven exclusively by size. Note that Eterneva is not the cheapest cremation diamonds company, and for good reason. We've invested in a transparent domestic supply chain and prioritize quality over all.
Here is a quick breakdown of the diamonds' cost:
How Much Ash or Hair Is Needed?
- Ashes: ½ a cup (most adults produce 8-10 cups of ashes)
- Hair: 1 cup loosely packed hair
If you don't have that much ashes or hair, reach out to us and we can advise you! You can also always add some of your own hair, so you can be together with your loved one.
What if I lose my cremation diamond?
We intentionally ask for more cremation ashes or hair than what we need, so we can have some additional carbon leftover to safely store for families in the event a memorial diamond is ever lost or stolen. We partner with Jewelers Mutual, who insures Eterneva's memorial diamonds, and will cover a full replacement value, so our families wouldn't need to come out of pocket, and we have additional carbon to grow from in the event of a claim.
Is there carbon left in cremation ashes?
Yes, there is carbon left in cremation ashes. We have had multiple independent analytical chemistry labs test and validate that cremated ashes contain 1-4% carbon on average.
Eterneva is the only memorial Diamond company to offer third-party cremation ashes analysis for customers curious about their loved one's carbon makeup.
Is turning cremation ashes into diamonds a scam?
No, turning ashes into diamonds is not a scam. The science behind this process is well-documented and third-party validated by the scientific community. That said, it's important to select a transparent and high-integrity company to ensure the cremation diamonds process is being done legitimately and no corners are being cut.
Key Takeaways
- Your diamond is a genuine transformation: This process uses the unique carbon from your loved one's ashes or hair to grow a real diamond. It doesn't just hold their remains; it transforms their essence into a new, tangible form you can always keep close.
- Vet your provider for complete transparency: A trustworthy company will have a verifiable US-based lab, provide consistent updates on your loved one's journey, and offer clear quality guarantees. Be cautious of vague locations or prices that seem too good to be true.
- Personalize the tribute to tell their story: You can honor your loved one's unique spirit by choosing the diamond's specific cut, color, and shape. Adding a microscopic laser inscription makes the tribute an even more personal heirloom that can be cherished for generations.
