When someone we love passes on from this life it can be devastating. So many things change and so much happens that it can all seem overwhelming. Not only is there mountains of work to be done when it comes to figuring out funeral services, receptions, and end-of-life celebrations, but the simple idea of learning to live without them is its own challenge.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. In the wake of the loss, chaos can ensue, and you can become disconnected. We’re here to tell you this is totally ok. Everyone grieves in their own way.
Once things quiet down, you are left with the task of learning what life is like on the other side of this event. Death is a natural part of living; however, when we are forced to live without the ones we love, it’s normal to feel like life itself is a stranger. Be patient with yourself in this process!
Finding ways of commemorating and memorializing your loved ones can be such an important and beautiful part of this journey. Memorial diamonds are one such way to do this. By creating a memorial diamond you are helping to preserve a remarkable life and make sense of this new chapter. It’s more than just a token that represents your loss; it’s a way of helping you move forward. A reminder that the world, despite feeling bigger without them, is still a place where you can find your way and learn how to live in.
What Is a Memorial?
Memorials for loved ones are powerful tools that can be used in our healing journeys and they can be a variety of different things. They can be a statue, a painting, or even a favorite song or poem. They are essentially whatever item we chose to make them and have a significant attachment to the memory of the person they represent.
Burial
Traditionally, when a loved one passes away, there are a couple of different methods the person is memorialized through the ceremony process.
One tradition is burying those who have passed on. The most common item associated with burial is the gravestone. This marker helps to mark the resting place of those who have gone on and can be adorned with flowers or different items of devotion.
Cremation
Cremation is the most common option for post-life services. Cremation has been practiced throughout history, and it has grown in popularity today thanks to economic and environmental considerations.
Cremation uses heat or alkaline hydrosis to transform your loved one’s remains into ashes. These ashes are then returned to your family or loved ones in a memorial urn. The ashes created during cremation can be used to honor and celebrate your loved ones in a variety of ways.
You may choose to hold traditional funeral services using ashes rather than embalmed remains. If you’ve already held a memorial service or choose to forgo one, you can display your loved one’s ashes in a prominent area of your home or scatter them in a location that holds emotional significance.
You can also use these ashes to create memorial jewelryjewlery as a physical reminder of your remarkable relationship with your loved one that you can carry with you throughout your life.
Memorial Diamonds
A third option is creating a memorial diamond from the remains of your loved one. It can be made from any source of carbon, such as cremated ashes or hair. This process is a unique, beautiful way to commemorate your loved one’s memory in an eternal way. The diamond that is formed is a one-of-a-kind stone that can be custom shaped to your specification and will last forever, just as the memory of your loved one will.
What Are Memorial Diamonds Used For?
With such a unique way of memorializing a loved one, it is a completely understandable question that you may wonder what all you can and cannot do with a memorial diamond. Before we get into how to best answer this question, let’s first look at exactly what a memorial diamond is!
How a Memorial Diamond Is Formed
When a person is cremated, their ashes naturally contain carbon. Carbon is in ashes because these ashes are organic matter, largely comprised of bone fragments. The moisture and most soft tissue are either evaporated or turned to ash.
When this happens, their remains are then collected. Normally these remains would be placed in a memorial urn or scattered according to the will of the deceased. However, when making a memorial diamond, they are used to gather the carbon needed to form the diamond.
The purified carbon from their ashes and additional organic carbon are placed inside a small container along with what is called a diamond seed. This seed is simply a small piece of diamond that will act as a blueprint for the carbon to attach to once it starts to change shape within the diamond machine. The purified carbon will morph to the pattern of the seed and a unique, real diamond will grow.
The specialized container with your loved one’s carbon is exposed to tremendous pressure and heat within the diamond machine. This simulates the conditions in the earth’s crust where diamonds are naturally formed. Over time, the pressure and the temperature will actually rearrange the carbon to form your unique diamond.
These diamonds are 100% real and made from the very ashes of a loved one who has passed on.
Once formed, the family can decide what kind of special cut of diamond they want. These shapes can be used for a variety of different things. The question of what are diamonds used for, when it comes to memorial diamonds, is easy to answer—anything that you want!
Your diamond can be affixed to any kind of jewelry just like a normal diamond. It can be immortalized on a ring, passed on from generation to generation, placed in the middle of a broach, or even hung from a necklace.
Really, the options for how to use a memorial diamond are only limited by preference and imagination. If you want to bring a reminder of your loved one with you, you can have the diamond fixed in an earring or put on a specially designed bracelet.
Family Heirloom
One of the most effective ways to commemorate your loved one’s memorial diamond is to fix it to an object you can keep as a family heirloom. This treasure can then be kept in your family for generations. A beautiful and unique way to eternally treasure the memory of the one who passed on.
Are There Any Negatives to Memorial Diamonds?
The truth is, having your remains turned into a memorial diamond is you and your family’s business. It is entirely up to your preference, and a recent Baylor study found 82% of customers actually felt their grief was affected positively by choosing to do an Eterneva diamond. While it may not yet be as common as burial or traditional cremation, it is a great option to do for someone who had a profound impact on your life.
The best part about making a memorial diamond is that it is uniquely designed to be one of a kind. Just like the memory of your loved one and the impact that they made on your life, nothing else can ever duplicate its beauty and impact.
This becomes not only something that your family can keep and pass onto future generations but something that speaks to the uniqueness of what made your loved ones so special. Also, it’s a very physical way of keeping them close and honoring the beauty of their memory.
Making the Decision To Choose a Memorial Diamond
With memorial diamonds, just like anything else, it makes sense that you would do your research to see if this is the correct option for your family. Talk to your family and see what their thoughts are on the process. For some, it’s a no-brainer, and others are even starting to have their wills stipulate this is what they want done with their remains.
The good news is that at Eterneva we go through extreme care to make sure that every decision through the entire process has you and your family at its center. From shape to color to even size, we help make sure that this memorial diamond best represents the memories that you will cherish for a lifetime.
When it comes to how to use the diamond, we suggest picking something that most reflects your loved one. For instance, if you had a loved one who enjoyed wearing a watch, or pendants, or necklaces, choose a piece of jewelry that is reminiscent of this quality to have it fixed to.
This way not only is the diamond uniquely significant of your loved one but also the way the diamond is being carried forward. We know that you will love how an Eterneva diamond provides the unique opportunity to remember your loved one in unequaled, authentically beautiful way.
Source
10 Things You Don't Know About Cremains: Our Experts Explain. | Cremation Institute
A Quadrillion Tons of Diamonds Lurk | nationalgeographic.com
