Owners Turn Cat into Black Diamond Ring
A while back, we posted a blog about some dog owners who turned their dead pets into sweaters. Not the most fashionable of statements, but it certainly had its share of sentimental value. Well, now a cat owner has followed that same sentiment and turned her dead black cat into a diamond ring.
When Sooty the black cat passed away suddenly at the age of 11, owner Sue Rogers was devastated. She turned to Chicago-based LifeGem, a company that actually specializes in turning dead people and animals into gems (WHAT?), and requested a black diamond to match Sooty’s dark coat.
It had never been done before, so the company had to create a new technique to develop the black diamond: They extracted two grams of carbon from Sooty’s ashes, placed that in a diamond press, exposed it to temperatures of 3,000 degrees Celsius and placed it under one million pounds of pressure for two weeks. Once grown, the gem was placed under electrons for 24 hours, which gradually changed the color from clear to black.
The result is a gold ring resembling a flower with white diamonds surrounding a third-of-a-carat black diamond.
It’s the only diamond in the world created from a pile of ashes.
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May 24th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Gross!
May 26th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
I love it. I think it’s a great way to remember your pet. Since I’m against diamonds, I would go with cubic zirconiums though.
May 27th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Wow!!
That is so cool. Now a days you can turn anything into something. lol
June 8th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Only if you have money to burn, literally. Let these animals go in peace. If having them cremated works best for you, then leave them in the urn, instead of extracting their DNA. Who’s to know what happens after all that?
September 7th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
My teenage daughter was absolutely devastated when her beautiful 3 1/2 month old kitten died of FIV last December. There was no saving the sweet little thing. This was her first kitten and beloved. (And too young to get the shots to prevent FIV. She had already been exposed before we got her.)
My husband and I had a locket engraved with the kitten’s name, put in a photo of the kitten, and a few hairs cut from her fur under plastic facing the photo. While nothing can replace the pet, the locket has provided some comfort. She wears it most of the time. Entire cost: $25.
Different people grieve differently. In many cases pets are loved dearly. Last I checked I’m not the arbiter of how one should grieve. As long as there is no cruelty or neglect to the animals people can make their own choices. Personally, I know of much better uses for the ltons of money spent on cloning (and it’s only a genetic clone - not the same animal and personality - remember “The Boys from Brazil?”), pet costumes, ash diamonds, etc.
There are so many great pets available at shelters that need loving homes. A new pet can’t replace the old one but it will give a lot of love.
September 27th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
sad….:(
December 19th, 2008 at 11:41 am
that is sad. But it is kinda cool how you can remember your pet or loved one like that. But, it iis waaaaaaay to expencive. So when my guinea pigs die I think I’ll just remember them by keeping a lock of hair or something.
December 26th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I love my cat dearly; but this is far too extravagant for me.