Remember Your Loved One — as a Diamond

CHICAGO - A growing number of grieving families are choosing an unusual memorial: having their loved one's cremated remains pressed, under the same heat and pressure that forms natural gems, into a genuine diamond.

The process extracts carbon from cremains and crystallizes it over several months into a lab-grown diamond, typically a quarter to three-quarters of a carat, at prices from $3,000 to $20,000 depending on size.

"A headstone you visit. This you carry," said a suburban Chicago woman who wears her late husband as a pendant. "People think it's strange until they hold it."

The company that pioneered the service says demand doubles every few years, with customers including pet owners. One man's family had him made into cuff links — one for each of his sons.

Funeral industry traditionalists are uneasy, and some faiths discourage dividing remains. The Catholic Church, which permits cremation, prefers that ashes be kept whole and interred.

Scientists note the gems are chemically indistinguishable from mined diamonds — which, devotees say, is rather the point.

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