Carbon source
A natural diamond is formed from the carbon in volcanic ash – around 200 km below the earth’s surface at very high pressure and high temperatures over a long period of time. We simulate these conditions, approx. 60,000 bar and approx. 1,400 degrees Celsius, and let the formation process take place in fast motion.
To create the unique and unmistakable fire of your diamond, we need parts of the ashes or components of your animal’s hair or feathers. The creation process is divided into different steps, which are documented in your certificate of authenticity.
The memorial diamond
The carbon source for the memorial diamond can, for example, be the hair, cremation ashes or a mixture of both from one or more of your animal companions.
A diamond made from hair
The friendship diamond
The preselection
To begin contact Semper Fides directly, we will support you in choosing your personal diamond.
Completion
The base color
You determine the basic color of your PUREdiamond. The subtle nuances of your personal PUREdiamond ultimately depend on the individual carbon source and the growth process used.
Rough diamond
The PUREdiamond as a rough diamond; rough diamonds have their “rough edges” which grew just like each person or animal grew, something that makes our beloved animal companions unique.
Cut
Whether brilliant, emerald, princess or another cut – this decision is entirely up to you.
Brilliant
Emerald
Princess
Carat
Conditions and pricing
The PUREdiamond is available in Germany from 2,520 euros. The price depends on the size, cut, base color and carbon source.
Please contact us for individual offers and financing options.
After we have discussed your wishes and ideas, the individual carbon source is handed over to Semper Fides or the respective partner and we start with the preparatory analyses.
Processing
1. the extraction of the raw materials for the memorial diamond
Special processes are used in our laboratory to extract the carbon. Among other things, acids and bases are used to separate organic and inorganic ingredients.
In order to create a PUREdiamond from the extracted carbon, we have to further increase the purity of the isolated carbon. This involves breaking down carbon oxides, vaporizing metallic impurities and creating a distinctive graphite structure. This is done by heating the amorphous (i.e. unformed) carbon to between 2,700 °C and 2,900 °C in a vacuum.
The result is graphite with a very high degree of purity. The arrangement of the carbon atoms in the graphite structure is a prerequisite for the subsequent diamond synthesis.
A transformation into your diamond is not possible in some cases, even with minor impurities.
During cremation, most of the carbon escapes as carbon dioxide. As a rule, between 1.0 and 2.5 percent carbon remains in the ashes. This percentage can be detected by any laboratory with the appropriate equipment.
2. the growth, the formation process of the memorial diamond
The graphite is then inserted into a special growth cell. This growth cell consists of a large number of components that are manufactured by hand according to individual customer requirements.
We work with the highest precision and pay attention to absolute cleanliness, as otherwise diamond growth would be difficult or impossible. The growth cell creates an isolated environment, which is necessary for the undisturbed growth process of your diamond.
The growth cell is inserted into the HPHT press. In this case, HPHT stands for “High Pressure High Temperature”. The HPHT presses are precision machines specially designed and developed for the growth of your PUREdiamond, weighing up to 15 tons. The growth cell is subjected to a pressure of around 60,000 bar and a temperature of approx. 1,400 °C in the HPHT press. Under these conditions, which correspond to the growth conditions of a natural diamond, the lattice structure of graphite is transformed into a diamond.
The size of your PUREdiamond does not depend on the amount of graphite available to us, but on how long the growth cell remains in the HPHT press. The growth time determines your desired size. The growth time is calculated for your PUREdiamond. The growth cell is then removed from the press.
The growth cell is now removed layer by layer. Your resulting PUREdiamond rough diamond is located in the cell nucleus, embedded in the individual “catalyst melt”. It is usually cubic in shape and has up to 32 crystal faces. After breaking open the cell, the rough diamond is carefully removed from the surrounding alloy using acids and then cleaned.
All diamonds from Semper Fides grow from an individual carbon source. This means that the final parameters, such as the intensity of the chosen base color, the degree of purity, the proportions and also the weight are decided during the growth process and thus result in your very own unique piece.
3. grinding and polishing the diamond
The PUREdiamond is then cut or delivered as a polished rough diamond according to your wishes. Cutting and polishing a diamond is an art and is therefore only carried out by hand by experts.
Depending on the finish and requirements, we work with different specialists.