Funeral Director Uses Locks of Hair to Create Heirloom LifeGem Diamond for Family

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LifeGem Memorials, the world’s first purveyor of diamond memorials, announced today at the 125^th National Funeral Directors Association Convention & Expo (Booth # 1065) the availability of a LifeGem Created Diamond made of the carbon in a lock of hair. This latest advancement enables families who choose burial to still enjoy the comfort of a LifeGem Created Diamond.

“My family will cherish this diamond for generations, and I expect other families will want to do the same”

Bobby Thurman of Nelson Funeral Service in Eureka Springs, Arkansas liked the idea so much he ordered a LifeGem to be made from combined hair samples of himself, his wife Christy, and their children Olivia and Ava. This diamond marks the first familial LifeGem Created Diamond.

“My family will cherish this diamond for generations, and I expect other families will want to do the same,” said Thurman. “The Nelson Funeral Service is the first funeral home in the region to offer LifeGem to both its burial and cremation clients. We have a lot of history in this community, and I am proud to offer this unique memorial to my customers.”

The new process starts with the funeral home securing and packaging a five gram lock of hair, enough to create several diamonds for the family, and sending it to LifeGem via registered mail. After capturing the carbon, it goes to a high pressure, high temperature diamond press to create a rough diamond crystal. It is then cut, faceted and polished. LifeGem Created Diamonds have the same brilliance, fire and luster as natural diamonds and are certified by the world’s foremost gemologists trained by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The LifeGem is produced in yellow, blue and red.

About LifeGem Memorials

LifeGem Memorials developed the world’s first certified, high quality colored diamond created from the carbon of a loved one in 2002, to help family and friends memorialize the life of the deceased. Headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the company creates the LifeGem in varying sizes and colors through a worldwide network of certified partners. For additional information and to find local funeral partners, please visit www.LifeGem.com or call 1-866-LIFEGEM.

Editor’s note:

B-roll video, product photography, and a photo specific to the Thurman family are available upon request.