FAQS

Diamonds created from hair are real diamonds. They look, shine, and perform exactly the same as natural diamonds because both consist of pure carbon arranged in the same crystal structure. They meet all international diamond grading standards and can be certified by professional laboratories just like mined diamonds. On the scientific level, a diamond grown from hair is chemically and structurally indistinguishable from a natural diamond. After extracting and purifying the carbon, the atoms reorganize into a diamond cubic lattice where each carbon atom forms four sp³-hybridized covalent bonds in a tetrahedral geometry. This results in identical physical and optical properties—including a Mohs hardness of 10, a refractive index of 2.42, and the characteristic Raman peak at ~1332 cm-1 making the two types of diamonds analytically equivalent. Yet, despite being identical in science, a diamond made from hair is profoundly different in meaning. Its carbon does not originate from a geological formation millions of years old, but from a person, a part of their body that once lived, grew, and carried their unique chemical signature. This is why such a diamond holds memory, presence, and emotional continuity. It is not merely a gemstone; it is a piece of someone you love, transformed into something eternal.

Cremation ashes theoretically contain carbon, but they cannot be used effectively to grow diamonds. Although the idea is widely circulated, cremation ashes consist almost entirely of bone minerals, not organic tissue. Human bone is made primarily of calcium phosphate (hydroxyapatite), which becomes the dominant component after cremation. As a result, ashes contain almost no usable carbon, and even one kilogram of ashes does not provide enough suitable carbon to grow a measurable diamond by any professional diamond-growth method. On the scientific level, the carbon remaining in ashes is fundamentally different from the carbon required for CVD or HPHT diamond synthesis. After cremation at 800–1000 °C, bone retains less than 1–2% residual carbon, and this carbon is mostly oxidized, mineral-bound, and chemically unusable for diamond formation. Growing even a 0.1-carat diamond requires 100–300 mg of high-purity carbon, yet 1 kg of ashes typically yields only about 5–20 mg of extractable carbon—a quantity that is 20–60 times too little. Based on these numbers, producing even a 0.1-carat diamond would theoretically require 5–15 kg of ashes, far more than any single individual can provide. For this reason, a pure ash-derived diamond is scientifically unattainable, and many so-called “ash diamonds” rely on added industrial graphite or methane, making the true carbon origin impossible to verify.

Hair can be used to make diamonds because it contains abundant, intact organic carbon. Human hair is composed of approximately 45% carbon by weight, and this carbon remains chemically accessible and suitable for diamond synthesis. It provides a consistent, high-purity carbon source that can be reliably extracted, purified, and reorganized into a diamond crystal under CVD or HPHT growth conditions. On the scientific level, the difference arises from how carbon exists in each material. Hair is made of keratin, a biological protein rich in elemental carbon, which can be converted into high-purity carbon after controlled pyrolysis. In contrast, cremation ashes come primarily from bone minerals, mainly calcium phosphate (hydroxyapatite), and contain less than 1–2% residual carbon after being incinerated at 800–1000°C. The small amount of carbon that remains in ashes is mostly oxidized, mineral-bound, and chemically unusable for CVD or HPHT diamond growth. To grow even a 0.1-carat diamond, 100–300 mg of high-purity carbon is needed, yet ashes from an entire individual may yield only a few milligrams of extractable carbon. Hair, on the other hand, can easily supply far more than this requirement.

Two methods. Diamonds made from hair can be created using the same methods used to grow high-quality laboratory diamonds. There are two scientifically established approaches: CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) and HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature). Both methods produce real diamonds, and both can transform carbon extracted from hair into a fully authentic gemstone that meets international grading standards. On the scientific level, these two methods differ in their growth mechanisms but rely on the same requirement: a supply of high-purity elemental carbon. In CVD, carbon atoms are deposited layer by layer from a plasma of carbon-rich gases, allowing precise control over purity and crystal quality. In HPHT, carbon is crystallized under intense conditions, pressures exceeding 5–6 GPa and temperatures above 1,400°C, mimicking the geological environment in which natural diamonds form. Hair-derived carbon can be refined and introduced into either system, and both will reorganize it into the same sp³-bonded diamond lattice.

CVD and HPHT are the two primary scientific methods used to grow high-quality diamonds, but they operate through different physical processes. CVD grows diamonds by depositing carbon atoms from a carbon-rich gas in a controlled chamber, allowing the diamond to form layer by layer. HPHT grows diamonds by exposing carbon to extremely high pressures and temperatures, recreating the natural formation environment deep within the Earth. Both methods produce real diamonds that meet international grading standards, but they differ in how the carbon is supplied and how the crystal grows. From a scientific perspective, CVD is a plasma-based process in which methane and hydrogen gases are activated to release carbon atoms that bond to a substrate surface in the sp³ diamond lattice. This method offers high purity, precise control over impurities, and uniform growth conditions. HPHT, in contrast, subjects carbon to pressures above 5 to 6 GPa and temperatures above 1400 degrees Celsius, using a metal catalyst to facilitate diamond crystallization. HPHT diamonds may contain more metallic inclusions due to the catalyst, whereas CVD diamonds typically show higher purity and more stable color. Both techniques can reorganize carbon extracted from hair into the same sp³-hybridized diamond crystal structure.

CVD diamond growth requires two major technical breakthroughs when using hair as the carbon source. The first challenge is converting hair-derived carbon into ultra-high-purity methane, the feedstock gas for CVD. Hair contains approximately 45 percent carbon by weight, but it also contains nitrogen, sulfur, lipids, trace metals, and organic residues. To obtain CVD-grade methane, the carbon must go through pyrolysis, carbon extraction, gasification, chemical purification, and multi-stage filtration to remove nitrogen compounds and metal ions to levels below parts-per-billion. This purification pipeline is complex and has extremely low yield. The second challenge is the intrinsic low methane utilization efficiency of CVD, where typically less than 1 to 3 percent of the methane carbon is incorporated into the diamond crystal. Growing a 0.2-carat diamond requires roughly 100 to 300 mg of pure carbon, meaning the CVD system must operate at enhanced efficiency to ensure that a realistic amount of hair can supply enough usable carbon. Increasing CVD carbon utilization while maintaining crystal quality is one of the core engineering hurdles. HPHT growth requires the production of extremely high-purity graphite from hair, which is one of the most difficult material-processing challenges in the field. To serve as a carbon source for HPHT, hair must first be carbonized, then transformed into graphite with a highly ordered crystalline structure and a purity typically above 99.99 %. This level of purity is necessary because HPHT growth conditions exceed 1400 degrees Celsius and 5 to 6 GPa, and any heteroatoms such as nitrogen, sulfur, calcium, sodium, or silica will disrupt diamond crystallization or produce non-gem-quality inclusions. From one gram of hair, the yield of structurally perfect graphite is often below a few milligrams, and achieving consistent crystalline ordering remains a global technical bottleneck. The reason graphite must be used is that its layered sp² structure offers thermodynamic stability and directional purity, allowing carbon atoms to transform into a defect-free sp³ diamond lattice. Without near-perfect graphite, achieving gemstone-grade HPHT diamonds from hair is exceedingly difficult.

Alaya has its own proprietary hair carbonization process, high-purity gas purification technology, and a custom-engineered CVD system designed specifically for hair-derived diamonds. With our current capabilities, approximately 250 grams of hair can produce a 0.5 to 1-carat white diamond

Alaya ensures traceability and authenticity at every step of the process. For each diamond, we provide full-process production video, allowing you to monitor how your hair is handled, carbonized, purified, and finally grown into a diamond. In addition, every diamond is assigned a unique, tamper-proof digital ID that is recorded and stored using a blockchain-style system, ensuring that its origin, process history, and ownership record cannot be altered or replaced. Through this digital ID, you can access all production-related information stored in the Alaya database, including the complete fabrication video, analytical results from each stage, and the recorded mass and purity of materials used throughout the process.

We follow international diamond grading standards (4Cs): 1: Carat 2: Color 3: Clarity 4: Cut. Diamonds can be certified by independent laboratories such as IGI. Hair diamonds are graded exactly like natural or lab-grown diamonds.

Yes. Every Alaya diamond can be fully traced back to its source. Each diamond is linked to a unique, tamper-proof digital ID recorded using a blockchain-style system. This ID connects directly to the specific batch of hair used to create the diamond and allows access to all production data stored in the Alaya database, including the complete fabrication video, analytical results from each stage, and detailed records of material mass and purity. This ensures that the diamond’s origin and production history are permanently verifiable and cannot be altered.

In practice, the carbon extracted from hair is extremely limited, so there is typically no excess carbon after producing the requested diamond. Every milligram of purified carbon is required for growth, and the process is optimized to use the full available carbon source. If multiple diamonds can be grown from the provided carbon, we will follow the client’s instructions completely. If the client requests to receive all diamonds, we will deliver them. If the client prefers the additional diamonds to be destroyed, we will safely and permanently dispose of them. With the client’s consent, any small or lower-quality crystals may be processed into diamond powder for other technical applications rather than being wasted. All evidence of destruction or repurposing, including video documentation, will be recorded and securely stored in the Alaya database for full verification.

Alaya offers comprehensive support: 1: Lifetime authenticity guarantee 2: Free re-polishing and cleaning 3: Diamond resizing & setting services 4: Engraving services 5: Digital record & video archive storage 6: Worldwide shipping & insurance options. Our goal is to ensure your memorial diamond remains perfect across generations.