New Developments from phoenix-diamonds.com: Memorial Windchimes

New Developments from phoenix-diamonds.com: Memorial Windchimes

Memorial Windchimes

Just in time for the National Funeral Exhibition last week (12th June), we completed our trials and the final developments of my invention (back in 1998) for encapsulating ashes into crystal 'icicles' to make a fabulous windchime. Rather than 'rip-off' the patent (like 'ashes-into-glass' have) we asked the holder to issue us with the only license to use that part of the patent.

It took ages to perfect the 'icicles' - which also use waste crystal from 'Dartington' glass works - so we are being 'green').

The wind chimes will be avialable at a cost of £295 for four 'icicles' and about £395 for 6 (though we are assuming four will be enough). The colours available are Violet, Turquoise, Blue, Green, Amber and Cranberry. The wind catcher can be engraved with 'loved-one's details. Delivery about 6 weeks from order.

In a Nutshell.......

We make genuine memorial diamonds using carbon extracted from 'Cremains' or hair. Recently we made the first diamond in the world using the umbilical cord of a baby. Our diamonds are NOT synthetic, faux, Aura, CZ, 'Moissanite' or made of DNA. They can (if required) be certified by the UK Assay Office [AnchorCert].

Diamond sizes range from 0.25 [1/4] carat up to 2.00 carat.

Diamond colours : Mainly Canary yellow and 3 free-range shades of Blue.

Diamond cuts : We strongly recommend round 'Brilliant' cut - 58 facets.

Canary diamonds use 100gms of ashes per carat.

The minimum order value for canary is 1x .5crt;  or 2x .35crt;  or 3x .25crt

 - this is because the processing is almost the same for any weight of diamond.

Costs : Brilliant Canary  1.00crt = £5550,  0.75crt = £4312,  0.5 = £2975

Orders could consist of various sizes, we have made up to 10 at once.

Blue's use a more technical process using 500 gms of ashes or 25 grams of hair/crt.  Smallest Blue is 0.33carat (=£3625**) largest is 0.8 crt (possibly 1.00 crt).

The calculating price for Blue's is £10,950** per carat.

The Canary process takes around 13-15 weeks, Blue's can take much longer.

Terms and conditions apply, detailed in plain English on our order form.

HQ : Macclesfield, UK, we trade internationally.

Completely independent group of companies.

ceo : Mike Kelly, based in Manchester, UK.

Call : 0870 881 0612  [int +44 (0) 8708810612].

9.00am - 9.00pm GMT Mon -Sat].

e-mail : info@phoenix-diamonds.com

Website : www.phoenix-diamonds.com

new blog : Memorial Jewellery Blog address = http://memorial-jewellery.blogspot.com/

[**prices Sterling @ February  09 : e&oe]

Value versus Prices

“It is unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little.

When you pay too much, you lose a little money...that is all.

When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was supposed to do.

The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot.....it cannot be done.

If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better”

John Ruskin – Philosopher 1819-1900

New products - Memorial Jewellery

We are pleased to announce that we can now supply Memorial Jewellery. These mementos are manufactured to the highest standards in Solid Silver, Silver with Vermeil (14crt gold heavy plating) and 14 crt solid gold.  A tiny amount of cremation ashes is inserted through an almost invisible filler hole so that a loved one or pet can be with you always.  You can also see our other blog at http://memorial-jewellery.blogspot.com/  where you will also find prices from £150

Memorial Fireworks

Heavens Above Fireworks celebrates the life of a partner, relative or friend. We arrange special fireworks displays amongst which will be a number of fireworks specially modified to incorporate the cremation ashes, allowing for a spectacular memorial event and happier farewell. Go to their website www.heavensabovefireworks.com

Harriet Kelsall Jewellery

Rings made by people, not machines....

Harriet Kelsall is one of Britains leading bespoke jewellery design companies.

Make a free appointment to sit down with their award-winning designers and they will help you design the perfect piece of jewellery for you, and then their master goldsmiths make it by hand, the old fashioned way. Each piece is unique and will never be repeated for anyone else, so why not give your memorial diamond the setting it deserves.  http://www.hkjewellery.co.uk/

Memorial Jewellery (containing ashes)

We have found a new idea for memorial jewellery which some customers may find interesting. Perhaps a diamond made from Cremains is a little too much for some at £2750, but how about a small amount of your 'loved-one' within a gold or silver pendant??......as you can see from the photo, they look like ordinary necklace pendants but each is hollow with a tiny screw stopper. The ashes have to be inserted via a tiny funnel (by us) but we feel it may be interesting to have feed-back from you. Prices??? Please call us - 0870 881 0612, leave a comment or send an e-mail to "info@phoenix-diamonds.com"

Dog rises from the ashes......

Story from 'Your Dog Magazine'©

A dog owner from Essex has had her beloved dog Deefer, a Collie cross Labrador, made into a blue diamond, at a cost of £3,500.

Photographic agent Charlotte Bassett decided to have the keepsake made from his ashes by Phoenix Diamonds, a company that specialises in creating diamonds from the carbon content of ashes and hair.[That's us!!!]

When Phoenix Diamonds CEO Mike Kelly delivered the diamond he said he was sorry that she had lost her 'husband' at such a young age. She replied 'It wasn't my husband's ashes, it was my dog Deefer, as in 'D' for 'Dog'.

The dog, which died aged 14 and a half, was a much loved part of Bassett's family. "He was constantly by my side and was a peacemaker, pushing my children apart, to prevent a fight," she said.

After placing the order, Charlotte waited three months for the gem to arrive and now plans to have the gem mounted on a pendant. For her upcoming wedding the blue coloured stone will provide the colour for the wedding tradition of 'something borrowed, something blue.'

"The jeweller at Hatton Gardens, who is mounting the gem, was stunned that the diamond started out as dog!" she said.

What are coloured diamonds worth?

Bizarre as it may seem, RED diamonds seem to be exceedingly valuable - yet they may be confused with Rubies, Garnet and fake gems.

Our Blues at £10,950 seem good value???? and considering our diamonds are actually made of our a loved-one, partner or pet- very good value in deed.

This is an extraction from the website :- Color Diamond Encyclopedia

Diamond Aura.....give me a break!!!!!!

We have come across various websites purporting to offer "Diamonds" (made from ashes......) which are also called 'DiamondAura' - we do not believe these are the same as real diamonds and the following comparison chart may help prove this.........
Tomorrows Traditions offers a "diamond" for about £650 (and offers a second for half that!!!!) and a magazine article offers a whole necklace of 2 carat weight for just £99.............
We rest our case with the jury

More about "DiamondAura" (whatever that is?)

We have to make it quite clear, we have nothing but contempt for anyone ripping off our website, using our trading name or suggesting we have anything to do with cheap imitation diamonds like these.
Tomorrows Traditions are not making real diamonds. Whatever material they do sell - "DiamondAura" can be bought from STAUER in the UK and the US for peanuts. It should also be noted that (according to TT) these stones should not plunged into hot water for fear of cracking!!!! and jewellers cannot heat them above 300c - BIZARRE.
Even IF we could make this material - we would not, for we only make REAL DIAMONDS.
Watch this space.............

Diamond Comparison Table

We have been asked what is the difference between our REAL diamonds and 'simulants' or 'synthetic' diamonds, so here is a chart...........and we will also show you the chart for "DiamondAura" to prove it is not a diamond.....

How much do ashes and hair weigh?

We've been asked many times 'How much ashes weigh?' for sending and converting into a diamond.
Half an everyday cup would weigh approx' 100 grams.
A heaped tablespoon of ashes weighs around the 35 grams mark.
Half a cupful of hair in a firm ball weighs around 25 grams and is usually sufficient to make a 1 carat canary coloured diamond.

A wonderful welcome from the NAFD

© NAFD : Funeal Director Monthly : Sept. 08 Vol. 91 Issue 09 p45 - reprinted with kind permission.

Phoenix-Diamonds.com is part of a group of Internet trading companies established in 2000 in Macclesfield, Cheshire.
After working as an agent for a major US supplier of laboratory diamonds and becoming disillusioned by the huge prices involved, Mike Kelly began researching the specialist field of man-made memorial diamonds and set up Phoenix-Diamonds once his team could offer increased capacity and a greater range of colours.
The process of creating man-made diamonds has been around since the 1950s, when the Russians perfected the laboratory techniques and the published patent was then secured by GE of America, allegedly beating De Beers by just seven days. The Phoenix Group employs HPHT (high pressure with high heat over time) to create canary coloured diamonds, but adopts a slightly different process for its new blue range. It also manufactures blue/white, amber, green and red diamonds, although pink eludes it – for the time being.
Mike believes the UK’s funeral profession could become a bigger driving force behind the development of the memorial diamonds industry. He realises that funeral directors may not be looking to offer yet another fairly expensive service, but remains convinced that memorial diamonds are a perfect way to immortalise a loved one. Also, as valuable diamonds in their own right – they possess the same characteristics as mined diamonds and are cut and polished to be set as a pendant or ring – they can be passed down the generations.
“With so few genuine memorial diamond makers in the world, we feel sure that bereaved families would welcome information on the services available before they bury or scatter their relative’s ashes and the opportunity is lost forever,” he says.
“We wanted to join the NAFD to develop relationships with funeral directors, especially since they often play a key role. Even if the deceased is to be buried, creating a memorial diamond from the remains is still feasible because our technicians can use hair and nails, both of which are rich sources of carbon. However, they require very delicate handling and there is only a small window – between viewing and burial – in which to take the necessary action.”
Mike is keen to dispel any confusion regarding genuine memorial diamonds and fakes and says laboratories that offer certification (either by the GIA or the UK Assay Office) are sure to be creating real diamonds. He also suggests that, since DNA dies at a low temperature and there is unlikely to be sufficient carbon in a single hair strand, it would be difficult to create a true memorial diamond. Synthetics like CZ (cubic zirconium) and Moissanite (silicon carbide) are cheaper to manufacture but their quality and value simply does not compare.
Phoenix Group’s technicians have now perfected a means of extracting carbon from a baby’s umbilical cord, which has prompted Celebration-diamonds.com.
For further information visit www.phoenix-diamonds.com or contact Mike Kelly on 0870 881 0612 or email sales@phoenix-diamonds.com

Two very recent examples of memorial diamonds set in new rings, both of which were once original partners rings

The worlds first diamond from a umbilical cord

Having made dozens of 'Memorial Diamonds', I was chatting idly to my laboratory technicians about 'what else can we make diamonds out of'? Apart from the ashes and hair, the lads suggested both hoof and horn but surprisingly the umbilical cord of a baby, which apparently is rich in basic carbon and may be able to be used.
With this in mind, I spoke to the editor of Funeral Service Times who was willing to write a feature story mentioning this idea and a request for a potential donor.
Not only did I receive a call from a potential donor - a funeral director who's wife had suffered neo-natal deaths in the past and who was now pregnant again - it turned out that his practice had actually cremated all of my Aunties, Uncles and Grand Parents over the past years. We agreed to keep in touch.
Almost on the due date, he called to say his wife was possibly in labour and being cared for at Hope Hospital, in Manchester adding - "what should I do with the cord if I can get it"?. Being a first for all of us, I suggested he get the nurses to put it straight in their deep-freeze - ready for a collection once I had been in touch with our lab'. We all laugh now, but the best at the time was a 'TupperWare' box............
Jessica was delivered on the 27th of January 2008 at just 4 lbs 11ozs - thankfully alive and well - though the situation was very delicate to say the least!!!
We collected the frozen cord and kept it frozen for a while whilst taking advise from the lab'. It was eventually treated [sorry, can't disclose how] to become pure carbon. The lab' then used this carbon in our usual process when making blue diamonds - though with this 'world first' we all had to take extra special care.
The HHHP process we use, runs under a pressure around 10,000 tons per square inch at temperatures of 1300c for a calculated long period of weeks - almost under constant supervision. Eventually the raw crystal emerged and the cutter with many years experience chose the clearest section from which to cut the biggest clear diamond possible. After polishing we now have a 0.5 carat Aqua Blue brilliant cut diamond which was almost flawless, icy blue and very clear.
During this lengthy wait, we were all under 'tenter hooks' as so much could have gone wrong, but thankfully all has turned out well. The donors called to ask if we could name the diamond - and so we have - The Jessica Diamond, first in the world..
Costs?? Disregarding the initial development, we calculate we may be able to make more diamonds, probably around 1/2 carat in weight for between £5000-£7500, however, we will not be able to predict the exact size or the exact colour blue until we have made a few more.
Mike Kelly, ceo : Amended : 23rd June 2008

Hope to see you there.............

We hope to you in Newcastle 7th - 9th of July

We would like to help a dear friend.......

For private sale at £4400

Although we do not deal in natural diamonds, we have a dear friend who we would like to help sell a beautiful 1 carat radiant cut diamond set in a 9.7 grams of platinum. The finger hole is 10.65mm and would make an ideal engagement ring or present.

The ring comes with a case, certificate and report and a purchase reciept for £5400. The almost square cut white diamond measures 5.4 x 5.25 mm with clarity SI1 in a 4 claw setting.

There is a saving of at least £1000

Radio 4 - You and Yours feature in "synthetic diamonds"

Just to put the record straight.  Of the three laboratories mentioned in the Radio 4 program (You and Yours, Monday, 26th May) only LifeGem make 'memorial diamonds'  the other two Gemesis and Apollo do not (allegedly).  

Phoenix Diamonds are UK based and one of three others in the whole world who only make 'Memorial Diamonds' but we are not connected in any way to any of those mentioned.

The program also refers to lab' created diamonds as "synthetic", this word infers in some ways that they are inferior to natural mined diamonds - our diamonds are real diamonds and can be certified by 'AnchorCert' the Birmingham Assay Office.  

Terminology is a huge tin of worms and is being highly disputed all around the world as what to call 'created', 'man-made' or 'lab-grown' diamonds.  De-Beers have always been derogatory towards 'created' diamonds  though strangely enough were beaten to the patents by just 7 days against General Electric who won in them in the 50's (allegedly).  

It also may be true that gems can be grown in just "4 days" - probably in a factory production line process, but we have a very labour and technically intensive scientific process just to prepare the carbon for the same HTHP process in a single unique diamond production.

The Deefer Diamond

Fabulous memories immortalized forever?
This blue diamond was made from the ashes of a much loved mutt rescued from the Battersea Dogs Home.
Deefer was 14 and a half, a Collie cross Labrador

0.31 carat brilliant cut London Blue Diamond

More diamonds from the lab'

Can we make diamonds from DNA?

We have been asked "Can we make a diamond from DNA extracted from hair".

The short and blunt answer is "NO". As far as our chemists are concerned  "DNA is destroyed at 600 degrees centigrade" and I personally know for sure that DNA prep' equipment is regularly cleaned with both bleach and gas flames to remove all traces.    

It is certainly possible to make a diamond from hair, but to make a diamond from one or two strands of hair (the carbon residue that is) would result in a diamond containing almost minute proportions of the hair as to be indistinct from any other carbon source - even a pencil lead.

If any scientist or DNA expert can tell us otherwise, we would be interested to hear from you.

Can we supply a raw diamond made from ashes?

We've been asked a few times if we can supply the raw diamond crystal made from the ashes of a loved-one,  well we could I suppose, but what would be the point? The idea of cutting and polishing diamonds is to capture the flashes of fire, the scintillation of light which diamonds do so well. You may as well encapsulate your ashes into glass, it would be cheaper and probably more suited. So I think we have to decline from even going there, after all 'fancy' diamonds arre so valuable in any case, it would be a shame to make a diamond out of a loved-one and then present it a just a rough crystal. Better to cut and polish it to allow it to shine and last forever. 

Marriage of partners, a pair of identical gems.

Thinking of a 'Civil Partnership'?  

Bought the rings yet?? 

Our new website www.celebration-diamonds.com offers to blend/combine/marry two amounts of beard trimmings or hair, extract the carbon and make two absolutely identical 0.75 carat (6mm round) 'Brilliant' cut canary diamonds, to be mounted in identical gold bands.

Call 0870 881 0612 

or e-mail ceomail@phoenix-diamonds.com

Sherry Jewellery, Lincolnshire

We are pleased to offer Sherry Jewellery in Lincolnshire, as independent designers for bespoke commissions, Ruth and Chris' are experts at settings which not only secure the irreplaceable memorial diamonds, but also show them off to their full fire and sparkle.
They can be contacted on 01526 834411 or via e-mail at info@sherryjewellery.co.uk you could also see their wares on their own website www.sherryjewellery.co.uk

Brilliant cut canary

On beauty from a recent batch made from 'Cremains. Brilliant cut with 58 facets. The cut used gets the best light return and offers scintillation which cannot be surpassed.

New diamonds from the lab'

This is a 1 carat canary yellow real diamond made from 'Cremains - just 100 grams, however it took 10,000 tons per sq.inch and 1300c for a few weeks. Then from the 3 carat crystal it was cut in the ubiquitous 'brilliant' cut (which has 58 facets) - not too deep and not too shallow to allow the light to pass in and straight out but split into all the colours of the rainbow.
Sorry about the quality of the video - blame Blooger

We are pleased to offer D. J. Massey of Cheadle, Cheshire

For all those customers that have asked if we can make rings and settings for them, we are pleased to be able to offer D. J. Massey of Cheadle Village, Cheshire, they have suggested four ring styles which can capture the irreplaceable diamonds we supply.

Diamonds from the umbilical cord of a baby

We were almost as amazed as you are now when we learned from our lab' technicians that the umbilical cord contains more carbon than even ashes or hair. They had shocked us initially stating that the human nails, animals hoof and horn can be used to grow the diamonds, so as we haven't actually made any diamonds from an umbilical cord, we look forward to further experiments.

UPDATE : We now have a donated cord - which fortunately is from a new born healthy baby, so we will not be calling it a 'Memorial Diamond' it is much more like a 'Celebration Diamond'.

The process has begun and we will keep you posted.

Laboratory created Coloured Diamonds

As from January 2008, we are pleased to be able to offer a new range of 'fancy' coloured diamonds, in the ranges of Aqua Blue, Topaz Blue, Vivid red and of course we still make the Amber and Canary coloured diamonds.

The 'Fancies' use a new process but whereas where we use 35-40 grams per carat for the yellow range, for the blues and fancy colours need to use 500 grams. The costs are reflected in the extremely high-tech process and the length of time it takes (over 3 months) at £9985/carat.

Fantastic Funerals

The Fantastic Funeral Company is a new concept in planning and preparing for the end of life. Our focus is very much about celebrating life and recognising that because everyone is individual, they may choose to depart from this life in a less sombre way than tradition has dictated in the past. The Fantastic Funeral Company gives everyone the opportunity to take control of all aspects of planning and preparing for death. We know from experience that lack of planning and consultation can have devastating effects on the remaining family and friends.

During our research process we spoke with many people about death and dying, listening to a large percentage of people who talked openly and frankly about their own funeral wishes. Many expressed relief, stating that we are a much needed company as they had attended funerals that didn’t portray their loved ones as they had known them. With this in mind, we have produced a ‘Wish List’ which is a comprehensive end of life and funeral planning document. We also provide a full consultancy service.

‘If it’s a life worth living it’s a life worth celebrating’

Link to their site

Everything in the known universe about Phoenix Diamonds

Technorati Profile

Faux Diamonds

Although Phoenix Diamonds are REAL, the fakes are very good - but just not real diamonds

Moissanite is silicon carbide and is used in jewellery, it is called Moissanite after the jewel's discoverer Dr. Henri Moissan.

Moissanite is somewhat similar to diamond in several important respects: it is transparent and hard (9, although a patent states 8.5-9.0, on the Mohs scale compared to 10 for diamond), with a refractive index between 2.65 and 2.69 (compared to 2.42 for diamond). Moissanite is somewhat harder than common cubic zirconium.

Unlike diamond, Moissanite is strongly birefringent. This quality is desirable in some optical applications, but not in gemstones. For this reason, Moissanite jewels are cut along the optic axis of the crystal to minimize birefringent effects. It is lighter (density 3.22 vs. 3.56), and much more resistant to heat. This results in a stone of higher lustre, sharper facets and good resilience. Loose moissanite stones may be placed directly into ring moulds; unlike diamond, which burns at 800 °C, moissanite remains undamaged by temperatures up to twice the 900 °C melting point of 18k gold.

In 1998, Charles & Colvard introduced jewel-quality synthetic silicon carbide to the market under the name "moissanite". This gemstone possesses superior fire and brilliance to diamonds. Upon introduction, some jewellers misidentified moissanite as diamond. Moissanite's thermal conductivity is very close to that of diamond, rendering useless the older thermal testers that they relied upon. Moissanite has a slightly higher index of refraction (brilliance) and much greater dispersion (fire) than diamond, as it shows many more "flashes" of colour than a diamond. Unlike cubic zirconia and other diamond simulants, moissanite does not cloud over time, and is extremely durable.

Once its properties are known, moissanite is easy to distinguish from diamond, as it is doubly refractive and has a very slight green, yellow, or grey fluorescence under ultraviolet light. Because the brilliance of the moissanite helps to cancel the perceived colour, cuts with higher brilliance tend to have a much "whiter appearance" (i.e., round brilliant, square brilliant, and cushion cut) versus cuts that have a lower refractive index such as the marquise, radiant and especially the pear-shaped cut. The colour is often defined as "near colourless" which on the diamond colour scale ranges from G through J.

Charles & Colvard markets moissanite primarily to self-purchasing women. However, moissanite engagement rings, eternity bands and circle pendants have become popular among value-conscious consumers. For example, in the trade, a 1-carat (200 mg) moissanite gem sells for about $500 (2007 USD), while a diamond of similar size and colour typically sells for $4500 or more.

Natural canary coloured diamonds sell for around $9000/crt while pink can reach $100,000 depending on the four C's...........

Basic extract from Wikipedia

The International Cremation & Burial Exhibition

Hilton Newcastle Gateshead Hotel, Bottle Bank, Gateshead, NE8 2AR
Telephone [44] (0) 191 490 9700

Yeh, I know it sound bizarre, but there is probably a conference and exhibition for almost every single subject on the planet and death, funerals, cremations and the like are no exception.

We'll be exhibiting there on the 12th of November to the 14th, I hope anyone reading this will come to the event and view our Memorial Diamonds at first hand.

We will be showing for the first time our new BLUE DIAMOND range - admittedly a lot more expensive than the Canary Yellows and using more ashes, but the Blue Diamonds are stunning.

In the near future, we will be installing a new laser inscriber to mark all the new laboratory created range and if required - special messages.

A new urn for pets or a baby

Another hand made, truly special urn by John Ditchfield , cream white opaque and seems to have a gold inlaid, a small urn for a pet or ashes of a baby.

We offer this unique, signed and numbered urn for £395

John Ditchfield Cremation Urn

This is an amazing creation from John Ditchfield, a world class glass artist. The colours are spectacular and the urn is totally unique and hand made, signed and numbered.

Offered for the special price of £580

John Ditchfield Cremation Ash Urns

This is a beautiful hand blown urn by John, we took it to the 'Death Show' in Southampton and it is offered at the special price of £580

For more details just give us a call

Amazing developments ensue........

The most amazing developments starts here.........

We are pleased to announce that we can now offer custom made and absolutely unique urns by John Ditchfield.

John is very well known in glass blowing circles and his work is collected all over the world.

With John's permission, we intend to write a short introduction and show more of his unusual designs.