Eterneva
“Makes memorial diamonds out of the cremated remains of loved ones.”
This startup was born from personal loss. The founder, Adelle Archer, lost her mentor to a battle with pancreatic cancer. She discovered the lack of options of ways to commemorate loved ones. The business Archer was working for at the time was researching diamond development that, combined with a trend in cremation over burials led her to wonder if the carbon from the ashes of loved ones could be used to create diamonds. She found a few other companies were successfully doing so and began working on her own way of sentimentally including passed loved ones in life. Eterneva sends a small portion of ashes to Amsterdam where the eight month process begins. Unlike competitors, Enterneva includes the buyers in the process by sending text updates throughout the eight months. They build close relationships with their customers throughout this time and appreciate the person being memorialized. Customers can also pick from a variety of colors- traditional clear, red, pink, yellow, blue,green, and black. Many families pick colors that were special to their loved ones.
Will this be an accepted way to move foreword in grief?
Admittedly, this does sound a bit strange at first. However, Archer explains, diamonds allow people to pass the memory of loved ones down generations where ashes in urns do not. At first I thought who would ever turn someone they loved into a piece of jewelry? The more I read about this idea, the more it began to make sense to me. Life is beautiful, why would we not want to commemorate it in a way that reflects the beautiful people we get to share it with? This is a deeply connective idea, I believe there is truth in saying the diamonds can be an excellent way to grieve losing a loved one and still feel connected to them.
What is the cost of Eterneva?
Diamonds made naturally are pricey to begin with, how does Eterneva compare? Eternrava asks $7,000 for .5 carat diamonds. It is in fact more expensive than natural diamonds, however these diamonds have a much more emotional factor to them.
This endeavor is truly one of a kind. I will say that this idea is a bit disturbing, and I would take it as far to say disrespectful and even morbid, but my opinion is not universal. It is possible for jewelry enthusiasts to have an interest in this idea, or even grieving families, but it is a new idea that many have not yet seen. It is hard to predict the popular opinion on this subject because everybody grieves differently. The affordability is not ideal either, making the market smaller. I don’t see this idea taking off into an empire of sales, but maybe as a jewelry option working together with a Zales or a Jared pre-existing jewelers. Good article.