Would You Turn Yourself Into A Diamond Ring?

No, seriously. This is a real question…

We’ve all heard of diamonds being passed down generations from mothers, grandmothers and even great-grandmothers. But what if your diamond literally WAS your grandma, instead of just being an item she once owned? Seriously. That can actually happen now.

This is one of the weirdest things we’ve seen on the internet (and we’ve seen a lot of weird things on the internet, because, well, it’s the internet) in quite a while. Life Gem is an Illinois based company that turns ashes into diamonds. As in, the ashes of your loved ones. Yes, really.

According to their website, Life Gem can extract the carbon from a lock of hair or existing cremated remains. It is then heated to extreme conditions using specialised equipment to turn the carbon into graphite. The graphite is placed in a diamond press and heat and pressure is applied – recreating the natural process that creates diamonds deep under the earth’s surface. The diamond is then cut, polished, graded, and delivered to your doorstep.

Prices start at around $2500, and the process takes up to 6 months. They offer coloured gems and a couple of different stone shapes, too, so you can even create a bespoke, one-of-a-kind engagement ring that your loved one is literally a part of. It’s certainly, well… unique.

Life Gem already has one celebrity admirer – none other than Kris Jenner, who came across the idea after a chance conversation with a fan. Kris was so taken with the idea that she actually met with a representative from Life Gem, and it featured on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. After almost planning to create six diamonds from herself – one for each of her daughters – Kris eventually decided to be buried with the rest of her family instead. We can’t say we blame her!