Diamond burial

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The diamond burial is not an actual type of burial , but rather the transfer of the results of the cremation . According to specifications, any remaining amorphous carbon in the cremation ash should be "refined" into a synthetic diamond . The diamond enables the bereaved to remember the deceased. The (remaining) inorganic ash, however, is buried as usual.

Procedure

A “diamond burial ” in the narrower sense requires the cremation of the deceased , which must take place at temperatures below 800 ° C to 950 ° C so that amorphous carbon can remain in the ashes. The afterburning, which is common in crematoria, at temperatures of at least 1200 ° C, does not leave any amorphous or hexagonal carbon to be the starting material for a diamond. Rather, at temperatures higher than 950 ° C, all carbon is oxidized to CO 2 or converted into carbonates with the other accompanying substances (preferably CaCO 3 ). This thermal decomposition is incineration of all organic compounds and only inorganic components remain. In particular, before removing the cremation residues, it is necessary to wait for the mineral constituents to burn out so that all the carbon has been converted into gaseous CO 2 . Technically speaking, the result of cremation is the residue on fire which remains at 1200 ° C so that no diamonds could be grown.

Decomposition temperature of calcium carbonate in the DTA

The starting material for growing a crystal in the closest packing of spheres (diamond structure) requires amorphous carbon. Since “normal” cremation ashes do not contain amorphous carbon, external carbon (not necessarily from the deceased) [source?] Is used under normal incineration methods at best , so the incineration must be carried out differently. In order to obtain diamonds , the natural formation conditions of diamond crystals are reproduced.

Technically, crystal growth is an established process. At a pressure of 50,000 to 60,000  bar and a temperature of 1,800 to 2,000  Kelvin, carbon crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system, converted into the densely packed diamond structure. If an appropriate catalyst (usually iron carbonyl) is added, the conversion takes place over a period of a few weeks. The duration of the growth process is decisive for the achievable size , but not the amount of substance present in the crystallization nucleus.

The rough diamond produced by commercial companies has a size of 0.4 to 1  carat , that is 80 to 200 milligrams. The rough diamond can be polished and cut. A laser can then be used to apply micro- inscriptions. A bluish sheen due to boron inclusions is typical of “funeral diamonds”. Other colors are caused by foreign raw materials.

Compulsory burial

It is currently not legally permitted in Germany to store cremation ashes at home, but diamond burial is nevertheless tolerated and offered. There are now opportunities in Austria.

In all German federal states there is compulsory burial (in accordance with the respective federal state's funeral law). This means that the mortal remains and in particular the cremation ashes are to be kept on prescribed areas approved for this purpose.

In surrounding countries, especially in Switzerland and the Netherlands, a diamond burial in the true sense is possible due to a different legal situation. Therefore, for Germany and Austria, the ashes of the deceased must be brought to countries in which “transformation” is accepted as a proper burial. The ash capsule is requested from external funeral directors and processed by companies located outside of the country. There remains an amount of substance that can be buried in accordance with the law. The prerequisite for such a possibility is always the subjectively obtained consent of the deceased, which the descendants should then follow. The form of burial should correspond to the “declared or presumed last will” of the deceased. In Switzerland and the Netherlands, the formal questions for diamond burial are simpler. The remains of the ashes of the deceased after the diamond department can be buried in accordance with the law in Switzerland and Holland.

Commercial variants

Funeral diamond

A real diamond burial requires a separate cremation tour, so that heteromorphic carbon remains. Only a fraction of the deceased's substance is shaped into a diamond, so the symbolic value of the piece of jewelry is significant for the bereaved. This piece of memory and jewelry is a form of coping with grief and, due to the symbolic effect of diamonds, an object of mourning, but is only indirectly linked to the physical whereabouts of the deceased.

Memorial diamond

One way of making diamonds from human substance is the keratin in the hair . A suitable amount of hair is charred, bringing the necessary amount of amorphous carbon. After cleaning, a diamond- shaped crystal is grown using the manufacturing process described . Such a crystal can also be made from the hair of the living, regardless of burial laws or the type of burial . The waiting time for a diamond depends on the size ordered. A small memorial diamond takes up to three months, while a large one can take up to half a year. Commercial companies in the industry state that 500 g of suitable cremation ash or 10 g of hair are required for a commemorative diamond. Bones larger than 20 mm, which are left over after cremation and which, compared to cremation ashes in powder form, contain relatively little carbon, can also be used under certain conditions.

"Gemstone Burial"

In the case of a gemstone burial , after the cremation, only the ash capsule is "stored" together with a selected gemstone for a long time. The storage period remains unnamed. The underlying (esoteric) thesis states that the stone is " energized " by an 'ideal' effect of the ashes (which are regarded as animated) . The prices for this are correspondingly lower, but the possible storage time for a funeral urn is limited.

criticism

  • The ethical principles of the International Cremation Federation (ICF), on the other hand, contain the demand: “A person's ashes are fundamentally indivisible.” The international association and its member, the Bundesverband Deutscher Undatter (BDB), generally oppose the commercial use of products or residues the cremation.
  • “In view of what is thinkable and feasible today, funeral culture is increasingly following the laws of the market. The horizons of meaning multiply and are newly networked. [...] the piece of jewelery creates a souvenir that the relatives can handle on an outpatient basis. It is literally presentable, it adorns the body, it can be stored in a representative way, it can be flexibly integrated into everyday life. "( Thorsten Benkel, Thomas Klie, Matthias Meitzler )

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.lonite.de/
  2. ↑ Gaedke, Handbuch des Friedhofs- und Bestattungsrechts, 6th edition, p. 113 f.
  3. ↑ FAZ: Diamond from dead ashes not permitted , Wiesbaden District Court Az. 91 C 1274/07
  4. ↑ Swiss diamond burial
  5. ↑ VDI nachrichten January 18, 2013: Low emissions on the last journey . Page 3
  6. ↑ Thorsten Benkel, Thomas Klie, Matthias Meitzler: The shine of life. Ash diamond and memorial body . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2019, ISBN = 978-3-525-61630-7.