When someone dies, their family and friends are left with only the memories they have, and a gravestone or other reminder of their presence. Humans have found many ways to store the bodies of the dead. Burial, burial at sea, catacombs, cremation, and many others. But in today’s world, where technology has allowed for so much innovation in nearly every field, what about the funerary field? Much of the technological advancements here are quality of life ones, better embalming solutions, more types of coffin, and more efficient cremation methods. Enter Adelle Archer.

After losing her mentor in 2015, Adelle was made one of the keepers of her ashes. She decided, however, that a cremation was not enough to memorialize someone with a legacy such as her mentor’s, and so she decided to turn the ashes into a diamond as a way to preserve them forever. And this is where the idea came to found Eterneva.

The process of turning one’s remains to diamonds is quite simple, though it requires the right tools. After cremation, the carbon residue is extracted, purified, and compressed at extremely high pressure. What is left is a precious diamond and reminder of the departed.

Although the subject of what should be done with a body is one charged with both religious and societal biases, this innovative new technology has already seen great success and popularity among those looking to preserve their loved one. It seems that this funerary practice may be here to stay.

Furthermore, a process such as this would be quite useful in communal burial situations, such as the left over carcasses of animals that are butchered. Instead of letting the remaining parts of a pig or cow simply be cremated or buried, it could be turned into something of value that someone might want to purchase.