Don’t mourn, adorn!
Warning. This article may seriously disturb you.
Pets are our companions, and no one believes that more than I do. I currently live with two cats, Mallory and George, and two Siberian huskies, Denali and Kenai. They are all precious. Over the years I have had many pets, and when any of them died, I was devastated. My wonderful cat, Norman, died in my arms. Our beloved husky Enoch passed away in his sleep at the ripe old age of 13. Believe me when I say that I understand the grief from the loss of a pet.
But never, ever, in my wildest dreams did I imagine that people would want to create JEWLERY from the ashes of their dead pet.
LifeGem is a company that manufactures diamonds from the ashes of your… loved one. Meaning any loved one. Shudder. The idea of wearing a diamond made out of my grandmother is just too freakin’ weird for me to deal with, so I am going to attempt to focus on just their services for grieving pet owners.
Here’s how it works. When your beloved pet passes away, and you have the poor thing cremated, you send LifeGem 8 oz. or so of the ashes and they make you a diamond. If you don’t plan to have your pet cremated, they can also use a sample of his hair.
Okay, you realize everywhere this says “pet? you can insert the word, “uncle,? right?
You can choose the karat size, color and cut of your LifeGem, and they can make as many diamonds as you need from the carbon in the ashes you send. Prices start at $3,299 (.20 - .29 Carat) and go up to $24,999 each. The company offers a pre-planning discount, and they partner with many mortuaries…I mean pet care providers…internationally.
LifeGem is proud of what they do, and there are many testimonials on the site from happy customers. These people feel that having a LifeGem has helped them deal with the death of their pet, and that the beauty of the diamond reminds them of the life they shared. So, if you think this will help you, by all means visit the website for more information.
As for me, I will keep on morning the loss of my pets the old fashioned way. With a good cry, a few drinks and a new kitten.
LifeGem, Diamonds from Ashes, Grief, Pets
January 31st, 2007 at 8:58 pm
I whole-heartedly agree! I’ve rescued animals for years, and lost so many along the way. But I have to concur with the aforementioned “…too freakin’ weird for me to deal with.”
February 1st, 2007 at 7:55 am
Thanks, Jennifer. I just can’t get this whole thing out of my mind! I don’t get it, I just don’t get it. But then I don’t get having a pet mounted by a taxidermist after his demise either. Maybe it’s the same kind of people? Who knows. I have to go lie down now. This subject makes me woozy.