How much does a LifeGem diamond cost?

From about $1,999 for the smallest stones (0.10-0.19 carat) to $12,999 and up for a full carat, with roughly 5-10% discounts on multiple diamonds from the same ashes.

How long does LifeGem take?

Six to ten months from receiving the ashes or hair to delivering the certified diamond.

Can LifeGem make a diamond from hair instead of ashes?

Yes. LifeGem can extract carbon from a lock of hair, which also makes a diamond possible for someone who was buried rather than cremated.

Reviews

LifeGem Review: The Original Cremation Diamond Company

LifeGem invented the cremation diamond in 2001 and remains one of the biggest names, offered through thousands of US funeral homes. Here is what it costs today and how it stacks up.

Who LifeGem is

Based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, LifeGem was the first company to grow diamonds from cremated remains and is now available through roughly 3,500 US funeral homes. Diamonds are certified by a GIA-graduate gemologist, with documentation of carat, color, clarity and cut.

What it costs

LifeGem starts lower than most rivals: about $1,999 for a 0.10 to 0.19 carat stone, around $3,499 at a quarter carat, rising to $12,999 and up for a full carat. Multiple-diamond orders attract a discount of roughly five to ten percent, which suits families making one for each sibling.

The process and the wait

LifeGem asks for about a cup of ashes, or a lock of hair, and delivers in six to ten months. The carbon is purified, grown into a rough stone, then cut and certified. Updates are less hand-held than Eterneva's, which is part of how the price stays lower.

Our verdict

The most accessible entry into a true cremation diamond, from the company that started the category. Choose LifeGem if price matters and a modest stone is the goal; choose Eterneva if you want the fuller experience and updates. Either way the wait is most of a year.

Our picks

The affordable alternative

If the lab-diamond price is out of reach, these pieces set real diamonds around a sealed chamber of your loved one's ashes, ready in weeks rather than months.

Halo Diamonds 14K Gold Cremation Pendant

$335

A 14K gold pendant ringed with diamonds around the ashes chamber.

See pendant→

Swirl Diamonds Sterling Silver Ashes Ring

$305

Diamonds swirled along a silver band with the ashes sealed inside.

See ring→

Heart Diamonds Sterling Silver Cremation Pendant

$325

A diamond-set sterling heart holding a token of ashes.

See pendant→

Products link to You Are Forever, our sister memorial store, or to partners; we may earn from qualifying purchases. Prices shown were current when this guide was updated.

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