This Is How a Gemstone Is Created
from Ashes or Hair
Some say it is pure chemistry. Technically, that is true. But for us, it is so much more when we transform the ashes or hair of your beloved person or pet into a gemstone. It is a story that the sapphire or ruby tells. It is the story of the departed or the living. And this story finds a place within the gemstone—a space for a personal keepsake.
Every Gemstone Has Its Own Character
Gleaming deep red, radiant beige, or shining cornflower blue. We are not the ones who determine the color of the memorial gemstone. It is the (departed) people and animals. Their uniqueness is reflected in the ashes or hair. We can only guide the gemstone in a certain direction—towards ruby red or sapphire blue. But only to an extent. The rest is shaped by the hair or ashes of your loved one, whether as a keepsake for the departed or a token of love for the living.
Scientifically Proven in the Memorial Gemstone
In collaboration with renowned universities, we developed a process for creating gemstones. Using 50 grams of ashes or 10 grams of hair, we shape a ruby or a sapphire, giving it a sparkling new home.
After approximately 30 working days (around 50 working days for jewelry pieces), the memorial gemstone begins its journey to you. It comes with a certificate and the story of your departed loved one. Before that, it undergoes the following process with us.
1. The Chemical Process
Fundamentally, we are all made of the same elements. However, the composition of this biogenic material is as unique as every living being. From the biogenic material—meaning the hair or ashes—we extract up to 10 elements, such as magnesium, iron, and phosphorus.
Together with the carrier material aluminum oxide, this forms the foundation for the gemstone. It is one of a kind, just like your departed loved one. These personal factors shine through in the ruby or sapphire—pale or vibrant, light or dark, colorless or intense.
This process takes approximately two weeks. After that, our experts carefully prepare the extracted elements so that the gemstone can begin to grow. Everything is handled with the utmost care because we know that in these highly technical steps, we are working with elements from beloved people or animals. That your mother or Klaus is unfolding within them. And that is exactly how we treat them.
2. The Gemstone Grows
The next step in creating your personal keepsake involves a gas reaction using oxygen and hydrogen. In our self-developed high-end machines and furnaces, we can monitor exactly what is happening to your departed loved one at any time. And if necessary, we can intervene.
At temperatures exceeding 2,000 °C, the elements extracted from the hair or ashes fuse with the gemstone’s carrier material (aluminum oxide). In a truly magical process, your memorial gemstone grows from these elements. And within one to two days, it is ready for cutting.
3. The Cutting Process
Out of the furnace, the gemstone made from ashes or hair emerges in its raw form—like a colorful crystal, without shine or shimmer. Our skilled gem cutters transform it into your personal keepsake.
From 0.5 to 12 carats. You can choose from 9 different cutting styles:
- Day Dreamer: The upper facets converge into a flat cone, giving the gemstone more depth.
- Glam Gem: The most well-known cut, with a top facet resembling the famous brilliant cut.
- Forget-me-not: A simple cut with a single top facet, offering a clear view into the gemstone’s core.
- The Heart: A heart-shaped ruby or sapphire—an emotional cut with a beautiful and balanced shape.
- Pure Drop: A teardrop shape, classic and expressive, showcasing its full effect when set in jewelry.
- Pure Round: A simple, timeless circle that radiates its true beauty in a jewelry piece.
- The Tear: A teardrop shape that gathers sorrow and transforms it into tears of gratitude—when the time is right.
- Timeless: A rectangular cut, offering a unique and elegant alternative.
- Royal Crest: The baguette cut, a straight, rectangular gemstone reflecting individuality.
- Wild Beauty: The crystal remains in its natural form, varying in shape based on the personality of the gemstone from ashes.
Approximately 1,000 times per stone, the gem cutters inspect it through a magnifying glass—ensuring they guide your keepsake to perfection.
We are happy to cut gemstones smaller than 0.5 carats or create a special custom cut to give your keepsake an even more personal touch.
4. Worn. And a Piece of Jewelry
Goldsmiths unite the gemstone made from ashes with a wearable jewelry piece—crafted in yellow gold, rose gold, or white gold.
In addition to our exclusive selection of 18-karat gold designs, we also create custom jewelry pieces tailored to your wishes, preferences, and personal style.
Crafted with great precision, your gemstone made from ashes sparkles
in earrings, a ring, or on a necklace.
5. Our Quality Promise
Because we know how much your loved ones mean to you. At Mevisto, we produce gemstones from ashes or hair 100% in Austria. Our expert gem cutters use their delicate hands to shape your keepsake, micrometer by micrometer, with the utmost care.
Combined with the story of your departed loved one, the result is a gemstone that sparkles in competition with the stars of the Milky Way. By the way...
Before we send out your personal keepsake, the gemstone undergoes a thorough quality inspection. From polishing to sealing to packaging, every detail is checked. And independent jewelers certify the quality of our rubies and sapphires.
6. ISO-9001 Certification
Every gemstone made from ashes or hair receives a unique ISO code and a certificate number at Mevisto. This allows us to track and verify its identity at every step of the process—from order placement to production to shipping.
State-of-the-art computer systems support us in this process. Finally, we engrave the certificate number into the gemstone itself—so small that it can only be seen with a magnifying glass. We also photograph it for you and include the image in your gemstone certificate.
Equipped with a certificate and scientific verification, your gemstone embarks on its journey to you. Within the documentation, you will also find the ISO code, confirming the precision and accuracy of your keepsake’s creation.
7. Scientific Verification
Using advanced analytical measurement techniques, we can verify the personalization process. This method is globally unique, and various universities have confirmed its authenticity.
At Mevisto, we developed this exclusive process in collaboration with experts and universities. Independent certificates confirm that the added elements from hair or ashes are present within the gemstones and that the composition of elements in each sapphire or ruby is truly unique. No gemstone is identical to another—not only in appearance but also in its internal elemental composition.
8. Shipping: From Hand to Hand
To ensure that you are truly at home when your gemstone made from ashes arrives, we have developed a special shipping method with our logistics partner:
This ensures that you receive your gemstone personally. After all, no one wants to retrieve their keepsake from the mailbox or pick it up at the post office.
If you are not collecting your gemstone from one of our partners—such as a funeral home or jeweler—we will coordinate with you precisely when you will receive your package. We will also contact you again before the agreed delivery time to make sure you are at home.
Because you should be the one to receive this package personally. From that moment on, you will carry your (departed) beloved person or (departed) beloved pet not only in your heart but also close to your heart. And it is not just a stone. It is a part of your mother, Klaus, or Tomcat Karlchen.
