For we are dust… and to diamonds we shall return… Could be the motto of companies and corporations which turn a loved one's ashes into precious stones in 6 months and the best thing is that can be paid monthly without interests.
It does not matter that this service is quoted in dollars, or that the cheapest is about $200 thousand pesos, or that the Vatican prohibited turning human ashes into jewelry, Mexicans have shown more curiosity in this procedure, said Manuel Ramírez Díaz, director of the J. García López Funeral Home, in an interview with EL UNIVERSAL.
In contrast, Rosa Elena Domínguez del Olmo and Guadalupe Camargo, specialists in thanatology, assure that this process is not healthy. Firstly, because cycles are not closed, which prevents overcoming the death of a loved one; secondly, because the remains are commercialized and given the value of an object, and thirdly, because they consider it disrespectful since those are the remains of a body which do not belong to other people.
13 year ago, the Spanish brand Algordanza arrived in Mexico with the promise of keeping a dear one's essence in “the most beautiful” manner, in that way, not only are remains close, but they can be shown to others in the form of a pendant or ring. Arturo Lozano, the company's CEO, said in an interview that the enterprise is in 33 countries and has the merit of being the only company at a global level to accomplish this process in the purest way, using only human's ashes.
The cheapest service costs $180 thousand pesos
“Unfortunately, it is quoted in dollars and with the exchange rate, the cheapest one begins at $180 thousand pesos. This price includes the making of the diamond, mailing service, and gemological certification, according to the diamond selected.” explained Manuel Ramírez. In order to make it more accessible, J. García López funeral home has incorporated monthly payments without interests.
Regarding religion, Ramírez stated: “We don't care, we don't have a posture in favor or against the Church, we are guided by the demanding scheme, whatever the client asks, we don't make distinctions based on religion, we just comply.”
He also stated that despite the price and the market being small, last year 16 Mexican families requested the service, “it was more than a diamond per month, those are good numbers.” According to the company, women are who most request this service, and the demand is focused in Mexico City.
Creating diamonds from ashes is possible due to their mineral content, which includes carbon, phosphorus, and boron. To carry out the process it is required 600 grams and cremation provides 3 lbs in average. The remains are sent to a laboratory in Switzerland, where the diamond is created. Since Mexico is part of an International Treaty for the free movement of ashes, there is no need of sanitary regulation. However, the remains must be sent with the permit of cremation and the person's death certificate issued by civil registration.
Diamonds have a blue hue given by the quantity of boron in the ashes, meaning that each gem is unique. After 24 weeks, the client will receive the diamond and a certificate from the Swiss Gemological Institute.
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