Memorial jewelry is a thoughtful way to celebrate life and honor remarkable loved ones who have passed away. The concept of memorial jewelry took center stage in one scene of the Netflix original series Ozark, but there’s more to memorial diamonds than what we may have seen on the small screen.
Universal to the human experience are the deep and complicated feelings associated with grief. One of the greatest comforts along the healing journey after experiencing the loss of a loved one is to remember the wonderful time spent with them. Memorial diamonds are a way to remember your remarkable loved ones as a physical emblem to carry with you for a lifetime.
What Is Memorial Jewelry?
Memorial jewelry is a piece of jewelry that features a loved one’s cremated ashes, either in a small urn or as a memorial diamond. Memorial diamonds are created from the carbon in the cremated ashes of our remarkable loved ones or pets.
Cremation diamonds are real diamonds that are formed through intense heat and pressure in a lab that mimics the unique conditions found in the Earth’s mantle. Memorial diamonds are one-of-a-kind because their chemical makeup includes the remains of your one-of-a-kind loved one or pet.
Diamond-Making Process
The diamond-making process scientifically begins by extracting a small amount of carbon from ashes or hair. This is referred to as carbon purification. In reality, the diamond creation process begins when our team learns about your loved one’s remarkable story, which we share with each artisan who works on your memorial diamond throughout the transformation process.
Carbon Purification
The remains of a loved one or pet are comprised of approximately 0.5 to 4% carbon. This carbon must be separated from the other elements in a process that takes between one and two months to complete. This is done with great care and precision, and you’ll receive videos of the transformation every step of the way. The result of carbon purification is a fine graphite powder that enters into the next phase of the diamond-making process.
Diamond Growth
The next phase of the diamond-making process is the growth of your authentic diamond. This is the longest phase of the process, typically taking between two and three months. During this process, the graphite powder remains are exposed to temperatures of 2,500 degrees fahrenheit and 850,000 pounds of pressure per square inch.
Diamond Quality Assessment
This stage of the process is one of intense evaluation. Your loved one’s diamond is scanned closely to identify any impurities or imperfections. It is also a time to assess the shape in which the diamond will be cut, keeping in mind the desired size and shape. Once this is determined, the diamond proceeds to the next stage.
Diamond Cutting
Diamond cutting takes approximately one month as our master cutters determine and achieve the perfect cut for each diamond. What results from this process is your loved one’s diamond is a representation of their unique and beautiful qualities.
From here, you can choose to personalize your memorial diamond further with coloration, engraving, and setting to create a memorial that accurately represents your incredible loved one. Each diamond is also assessed by IGI, so you can rest assured that your memorial diamond is of the highest quality.
What Happened in Ozark Season Three?
Memorial diamonds were introduced to a new audience after their debut in Netflix’s Ozark Season 3. For those not familiar with the show, it follows the Byrde family as they move to the Ozarks after a money-laundering incident gone wrong. The parents, Marty and Wendy, must work to pay off a significant debt to a Mexican drug lord referred to as Navarro.
Marty Byrde begins laundering money through a bar and strip club under his ownership. At this strip club, bar manager Jade meets a stripper named Sam, and they fall in love. The Ozark Season 3 finale includes a scene where Sam proposes to Jade in a casino.
The ring was made from Sam’s mother’s ashes. As he gets down on one knee and extends the ring to Jade, he romantically says, “It’s my mom, hard pressed and firm and wrapped around your finger for life.”
At first, Jade mistakes Sam and asks if the ring belonged to his mother. To this he clarifies that the ring was formed from his mother’s ashes. Jade responds with excitement over the proposal and proceeds to plead for Sam to stop his gambling habits.
Sam’s gesture represents the meaningful act of gifting a memorial diamond. While it is an interesting way to describe memorial diamonds, it’s important to note that the carbon in memorial diamonds is not actually “hard pressed.” Instead, memorial diamonds are thoughtfully grown from carbon in ashes, as described in the process above.
Memorial diamonds have also taken center stage elsewhere in television, such as in Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Memorial Diamonds in Keeping Up With the Kardashians
In Season 14 of the well-known reality series Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kris Jenner discovers the beauty of memorial diamonds.
In this episode, Kris Jenner encounters two fans seeking a photo. Kris immediately notices the peach-colored ring on one of the fan’s fingers and asks about it. The friend responds, “It’s actually her grandmother.” Similar to Jade’s response in Ozark, Kris looks puzzled and asks for clarification. “A picture of her grandmother?” is Jenner’s response.
Once the fan explains to Jenner that her grandmother’s cremated ashes were made into the peach-colored diamond that Jenner was fawning over, she is in awe. The rest of the episode then becomes Kris looking into ways that she can turn her ashes into diamonds for each one of her children after she passes.
Jenner comments, “I think that the one thing that families aren’t prepared for is death.” She portrays memorial jewelry as a way to keep loved ones close at all times. She also considers her own eventual passing and aims to prepare a burial plan for herself that would honor life and keep her memory alive.
We love the way that Kris embraces this option as a way to memorialize loved ones. She saw the beauty and understood the significance of memorial diamonds as a way to keep our loved ones close and celebrate them throughout generations.
Why Do People Create Memorial Diamonds?
Diamonds are forever, and they are a lasting gift that will not fade. These solid gems will carry on the memory of your loved one and be a daily reminder of their life. Diamonds also offer versatility in how you choose to celebrate your loved one’s memory.
The diamond can be displayed or kept safe in the home, just like burial beads in South Korea that are kept in glass bowls. Memorial diamonds can also be set in jewelry and worn as a necklace or ring. Diamonds can also be passed down from generation to generation and become a significant piece of family history.
If You’re Looking for Sustainable End of Life Services…
Memorial jewelry is gaining popularity for several reasons, such as its versatility and beauty. However, there are sustainable end-of-life services that you may also want to consider before making your final decision, such as green burial or green cremation.
Green Burial
For those who consider themselves environmentally conscious, the rising trend of green burials can be a thoughtful way to honor a sustainable loved one’s impact and legacy. Green burials forgo any chemicals that are harmful to the environment and simplify the steps of traditional burial.
In traditional burial, a loved one is embalmed, unless they are cremated immediately after their passing. Embalming a body requires the use of formaldehyde chemicals to prepare a body for a viewing or visitation.
Green burials forgo the use of formaldehyde and the process of embalming in general. This process also seeks to veer away from concrete vaults and prioritize the maintenance of the natural habitat.
Not only do green funerals prevent harmful chemicals from seeping into soil, it also protects funeral workers by reducing the amount of toxic chemicals they encounter in their jobs.
With the average funeral costs being between 7,000 and 12,000 dollars — including embalming the body and selecting a coffin or casket — green burials are a cost-effective way to save the environment and honor the legacy of an eco-friendly loved one.
There are many types of green burials and can be narrowed down based on your preferred method, whether cremation or burial. Families have opted for biodegradable wooden caskets and cardboard containers as opposed to concrete containers or traditional caskets. Families might also opt for wrapping their loved one in a burial garment such as a shroud.
Still, always remember that there is no incorrect choice when laying your remarkable loved ones to rest. No matter what you choose, your loved one’s body will be treated thoughtfully and with the utmost respect.
Green Cremation
There are also many eco-friendly methods of cremation, which allow your loved one’s end-of-life services to include both a green cremation and the creation of a memorial diamond. Aquamation, specifically, uses an alkaline liquid to transform remains into cremated ashes. This reduces the emissions released into the environment, creating a smaller carbon footprint while still leaving the same traditional ashes families and loved ones would recieve following flame-based cremation.
Memorial diamonds are another option for green burial, as the ashes of your loved one will remain with you for a lifetime and serve as a constant reminder of their impact and legcy. They are an eco-friendly option because they do not require an urn or coffin of any kind, nor do they require harmful chemicals. The body does not need to be embalmed because it is taken straight to cremation and from cremation to the diamond-making process.
Cremation jewelry is a beautiful and sustainable way to honor the remarkable relationship you and your loved one share.
Celebrating Your Incredible Loved Ones
Memorial diamonds are gaining popularity as evidence in their appearance on Netflix’s Ozark as well as Keeping Up With the Kardashians. This cremation jewelry is a thoughtful, beautiful, and eco-friendly option for end-of-life services.
Memorial diamonds can be one-of-a-kind gifts for family members and friends of those who have passed. They can also be a token of appreciation gifted to the devoted caregiver of your loved one. They represent the vibrancy of life and make for a sentimental and personal celebrate of an incredible life.
Sources:
NFDA's 2021 General Price List study shows funeral costs not rising as fast as inflation | CFSAA
