Ashes diamond guide: Everything you need to know 

There are many different things you can do with the ashes of a loved one when they pass away, from turning them into a stunning portrait to burying them in their favourite place. But out of all the options available, none is quite so elegant, meaningful and soothing as transforming the ashes into a diamond.

Creating an ever-lasting memory of a loved one by using their ashes to make a genuine diamond is an incredibly intimate, profound and personal decision which shouldn’t be taken lightly. To help you decide if this path is the right choice for you, here’s everything you need to know about turning ashes into diamonds in the UK. 

Why turn ashes to diamonds?

If you’re considering turning your loved one’s ashes into diamonds, you might be a bit concerned about telling your friends and family what you plan on doing. While some people understand the benefits of creating this kind of heartfelt keepsake, others find the notion bizarre and macabre. 

The truth is it’s perfectly natural to want to hold onto someone close to you after they’ve passed. You’re certainly not alone in feeling this way. People have been commemorating their loved ones for centuries by creating special trinkets to remember them by.

To shed some light on your situation and help you explain your choices to the people around you who may not understand, here are some of the most common reasons people turn ashes into diamonds:

• Create a physical memento you can touch and hold in your hand.
• Ensure the person you loved so much is never forgotten.
• Keep your loved one close to you at all times.
• Have a unique heirloom you can pass on through generations.
• Allow family members to be present at important life events after they’ve passed.

When you view it in this light, turning ashes into diamonds isn’t creepy at all. Instead, it’s a beautiful, spiritual practice which allows you to maintain the connection you worked so hard to build with your loved one.

Benefits of turning ash into diamonds

There are many benefits of turning ash into diamonds which extend far beyond providing the people left behind with a sense of peace and comfort after suffering a major loss. Here are just a few reasons to choose to turn ashes into diamonds over purchasing an ordinary mined diamond:

• Diamonds made from ashes are much quicker to make.
• Your diamond will be 100% unique in all the world.
• Lab-grown diamonds are more ethical than some of their mined counterparts.
• You can fully customise your diamond made from ashes.
• Acts as an interesting conversation piece when meeting new people.

Are diamonds from ashes real diamonds?

Yes, ash diamonds are every bit as real as mined diamonds or any other type of lab-grown diamond. They both have the exact same chemical makeup and visual appearance. This means a diamond made from ashes is equally as strong, long-lasting and dazzling as any other diamond.

It’s impossible for an average person to tell the difference between a diamond made from human ashes and one mined from the ground. Even a specialist would struggle to tell the difference by studying them with their eyes alone.

The only person who can really tell an ashes diamond from a mined diamond is an expert who has access to specialist equipment. 

How do human ashes turn into diamonds?

The only real difference between mined diamonds and diamonds made from ashes is how they’re created. While mined diamonds take millions or even billions of years to form deep within the Earth’s crust, you can turn human ashes into diamonds in just a few short months inside a laboratory.

At Heart In Diamond, we break down the process of turning ashes into diamonds into five steps:

1. You request your order kit and send us the ashes you want to transform into a diamond. We process your details and issue you with a unique ID number you can use to track your order. 
2. We analyse the ashes you sent, extract the pure carbon from them and add it to a special diamond-growing foundation. From this combination, a unique crystalline matrix forms.
3. The matrix is placed into a HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) machine which recreates the Earth’s diamond-growing conditions. Temperatures in excess of 2000°C and pressures of up to 60,000 atmospheres are applied.
4. After 70-120 days, the machine is turned off to reveal your unique diamond. Our specialists cut and polish the diamond according to industry standards and your preferences.
5. We examine your diamond to make sure it adheres to our strict quality controls before issuing an authenticity certificate and delivering it straight to your door.

How much does it cost to turn ashes into a diamond?

The cost of making a diamond from ashes in the UK varies hugely depending on the carat size and colour. At Heart In Diamond, we make ashes into diamonds from as little as £515 and up to as much as £10,995. View our price chart to see how much different diamonds cost.

A general rule: the smaller the carat, the cheaper the diamond. But from the price chart, you can see that although this is usually the case, it isn’t always true. Diamond colour also plays a major role in determining the price.

For example, a 1 carat white diamond is more expensive than a 2 carat orange-yellow diamond. 

If you’re having your ash diamond placed into a setting, you need to take the price of this into consideration, too. Most manufacturers price the diamonds and the settings separately, allowing you to fully customise your keepsake according to your preferences and budget.

How much ashes are needed to make a diamond?

A very small amount of ashes is needed to make a diamond — just 100g. This is true irregardless of the style of diamond you choose. This means it doesn’t matter whether you want to make a 0.03ct orange-yellow diamond or a 1 carat white diamond, you need to send us 100g of ashes so we can create your one-of-a-kind keepsake. 

Don’t worry about not having enough ashes to make a personal diamond. Following cremation, most people leave behind more than enough ashes to create a diamond. There will even be plenty of ash spare for other family members to create their own diamonds or for you to throw a special farewell ceremony and use the ashes in another way.

After cremation, the average woman leaves behind 1.8kg-2.8kg of ashes, while the average man creates 2.8kg-3.6kg of ashes. This is roughly 3.5% of the person’s original weight.

The cremated remains of children weigh around 2.5% of their original body weight. According to average baby weights, you should be able to create a diamond from the cremated remains of a child as young as one month old.

If you don’t have 100g of ashes, you can still create a personal diamond as a tribute. After extracting the carbon from the cremated remains, we can add a neutral source of carbon, ensuring there’s enough to create a diamond. The essence of your loved one can still be captured in the diamond, even if you don’t have enough ash to begin with.

There’s no rush

Ashes diamonds mean different things to different people. Some find them an effective way to reminisce about the past and provide comfort in private while others view them as an opportunity to share stories about their loved one with new people they meet. Regardless of how you see this unique type of diamond, it offers many a healthy source of healing and the power to carry on with life.

Diamonds can be made from ashes of any age. So there’s absolutely no rush if you’re not ready to create your lifelong keepsake just yet. Hold onto your ashes and keep them safe until the time’s right. When you’re ready, we’ll be here to support you through the process and help you create your treasured memento you’ll adore forever.