Shine on in the afterlife... as a diamond ring?!

<-- This could be you!




Image: Diamond Ring: The diamond is made from cremated ashes and set in a silver band
http://www.cremationsolutions.com/Cremation-Diamonds-Made-From-Ashes-c39.html

 At the beginning of this class, in my mind, there were three basic funerary practices: burial, cremation with burial, and cremation with scattering the ashes, but now I am aware of so many unique funerary and memorial practices that are used around the world.  The practices that I find most intriguing are the ones related to the use of cremation ashes.  This is because I want to be cremated after I die so I am always looking for new options of what my loved ones can do with my ashes. I was shocked and fascinated by the practice of the Yanomamo of Amazonia who grind cremated ashes into a powder and then, at a second ceremony, mix the powder with plantain soup which is drunk by close relatives and friends (Parker Pearson 1999, p. 50).  Even though I share their worldview that the deceased should be valued and feared, consuming the ashes of a loved one does not fit with my beliefs that human remains are impure and potentially harmful.  This option does not appeal to me and something tells me that it would not appeal to my family and friends either.

However, after our discussion in class last week I was introduced to yet more options of ways to use and dispose of cremated remains.  I was shocked to learn that you can have your ashes turned into a CD or even a diamond??? Wow! I had no idea.  I started looking online to see what other practices were happening that I was unaware of and I found several. Did you know you can have your ashes turned into beautiful glass art, including glass figurines, wands, and vases? (See this link for options: http://www.glassmementos.com/lobby.html) Yes, it is true.  Or you can buy a teddy bear cremation urn and snuggle up to your loved ones remains (See this link for teddy bear options:  http://www.perfectmemorials.com/soft-teddy-bear-cremation-urns-c-482.html). How innovative!  Although I found all of these options to be very intriguing, I don't think I would make a very good vase or teddy bear.  The practice that still fascinates me the most is the diamond option.  Who wouldn’t want to sparkle on for all eternity? Well maybe I’m the only one who does but just in case anyone else is interested here is what you need to know…

According to the Ashes to Diamond Website (http://www.ashestodiamond.com/what.aspx), you can have your cremated ashes turned into a diamond in four easy steps: First, they extract the carbon from the ashes by heating the ashes to over 5000*F. Second, they purify the carbon using heat and a low oxygen, high nitrogen environment. Third, they place the purified carbon into a cube, which contains catalysts that help convert the carbon into a rough diamond.  This cube is placed in the middle of a press that exerts around 1,000,000 pounds of pressure and 2500 degrees of heat.  The website claims this step takes the longest but don’t worry because they say, “at least it doesn’t take a billion years!” That is reassuring.  Finally, the diamond is cut, polished, and certified.  Then you can have the diamond turned into a ring, necklace, or other keepsake if you want. (Check out one of the sparkly options at the top of the page).  How much does this process cost?  As far as I can tell the price range is roughly $1,000 to ten of thousands of dollars, depending on the type of diamond you want and the quantity of diamonds. Good news: there is a 10% off coupon available for you penny pinchers: (Coupon: http://www.ashestodiamond.com/discounts.aspx)

So this brings us to the archaeological side of things.  If this funerary practice becomes popular, it could have quite the impact on the archaeological record, depending on what people do with their relative’s diamonds.  For example, people might choose to be buried with their late relative’s cremation diamond ring on their finger or with their entire extended family who have been turned into diamonds.  If an archaeologist found this, they might interpret that the buried person with the diamond(s) was wealthy or had high social status, which may or may not be true.  If archaeologists in the future are aware of this cremation practice, they could radiocarbon date any cremation diamonds they found and discover approximately how long ago the cremated person died. However, archaeologists in the future might not know that the diamonds they find contain human remains and were part of a funerary practice. I think if this practice became popular and people did not bury the cremation diamonds with deceased relatives then there would be less evidence of funerary practices in the archaeological record  because cremation leaves less evidence behind than burials do.  And as the statistics suggest, cremation might be growing in popularity in British Columbia.  In 2000, it was estimated that 75% of people were cremated (http://www.cremation.org/stats.shtml), while in 2006 around 79% of people were cremated (http://www.bcfunerals.com/when-death-occurs/burial-cremation/cremation-explained).  Maybe this diamond cremation practice will catch on?

I think this funerary practice is the one for me because I want to shine on in my next life, plus my family and friends can wear me on their fingers as a reminder of my life. However, I think the thought of wearing me on their body would disturb some of them but not as much as the Yanomamo option so maybe I'll mention that one first.  Now the only thing my relatives will have to worry about is losing the ring down the sink as this could lead to an awkward phone call to the plumber: “Help! We dropped Melanie down the bathroom sink and we can’t get her out.”

References:
Parker Pearson, M., 1999. The archaeology of death and burial. Sutton: Stroud.