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Wednesday, 19 September 2007 |
Diamond composed of Beethoven's hair
The next time you think about Ludwig van Beethoven, forget about the piano or his famous lilting Moonlight sonata or even his powerful Symphony No. 9.
Think of his shock of gray hair. Then think diamonds.
Blue ice. And $1 million. One million dollars?
One of three diamonds created from a lock of Beethoven's hair was posted on eBay by a company called LifeGem. They're the first ever diamonds created from carbon using human hair of a historical celebrity. The auction's target: $1 million.
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All proceeds will go charity. The money raised will be split among the various branches of LifeGem around the world and the UK should receive a 25 per cent share. The UK's percentage will be going straight to Dreams Come True, a charity that fulfils the wishes of terminally and seriously ill children. David Hampson, chief executive of LifeGem UK, said: "The proceeds of this historical diamond will give us the opportunity to help a great number of children.
 Beethoven's hair was obtained from John Reznikoff, president of Westport, Conn.-based University Archives Inc., which has about 20,000 items. Reznikoff holds the Guinness World Record for the most valuable collection of celebrity and historical hair, including from Napoleon, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.
Reznikoff said he saw a frame containing locks of hair from Beethoven and Italian violinist Nicolo Paganini at a small auction in Cape Cod about 10 years ago. He declined to say how much he paid for the framed hair at the time but said his research to authenticate the strands led him to Ira F. Brilliant, an avid Beethoven collector and expert who died last year. He was the founder of the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies at San Jose State University.
"We had discussed the nature of the hair, its color and other factors and we agreed it was taken near the time of Beethoven's death," said Reznikoff. Reznikoff said no DNA tests had been performed on his strands because such tests would be inconclusive compared to those taken on body tissue. Still, he also researched the frame and placed the age of its wood from the time of Beethoven.
So why give up a portion of that prized hair? "I liked the charity angle," said Reznikoff. "It struck me as a very creative and interesting thing."
 Reznikoff will get one of the three diamonds in exchange for the hair. The second is being auctioned on eBay. The third diamond will remain at LifeGem to start a special "chain of fame" that could tour at museums.
David Hampson, chief executive of LifeGem UK, said: "This diamond is the first ever created from the carbon of a celebrity or historical figure. We are hoping that perhaps a high profile musician such as Sir Elton John or Sir Paul McCartney will buy it. But with it being on eBay, anyone can bid on it."
He added, "The hair has been authenticated and comes from a collection that includes hair from Napoleon, Albert Einstein and Abraham Lincoln. Beethoven's was chosen for two reasons. He has worldwide appeal and is also non-political so will not offend anyone in this day and age.”
Up until now LifeGem creates diamond memorials from cremated remains. The cost can range from $2,199 to $42,999 for loose diamonds. Now, the company has created the first manmade diamond from hair. The process took about one year. This is the procedure.
 Step 1. Carbon capture: A delicate procedure captures almost all of the available carbon in a lock of hair. It works only in a special high-nitrogen, low-oxygen atmosphere.
Step 2. Purification: Once captured, this carbon is heated up to extremely high temperatures under special conditions. While removing the existing ash, this process converts the carbon to graphite with unique characteristics and elements that will create your one-of-a-kind diamond.
Step 3. Creation: The graphite is now placed in a unique diamond press that replicates the forces deep within the earth. Heat gradually goes up to about 3,000 degrees. Pressure goes up to 800,000 pounds per square inch.
Step 4. Certification: Finally, skilled diamond cutters facet and polish the diamond, laser etch a unique identifier on the girdle and certify it for authenticity. All LifeGem diamonds are individually inspected, graded and identified by gemologists trained by the Gemological Institute of America.
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