Estate Planning

Life Is Short But Diamonds Are Forever

By Hull & Hull LLP

Beauty from sadness: DNA2Diamonds, LLC is a company that creates personal diamonds using the DNA of a loved one.  That can be a spouse, pet, dear friend or even an entire family.  The company takes a hair sample and uses it to grow the diamond from the DNA signature carbon in the hair.  The deceased's cremated remains can also be used.  According to DNA2Diamonds, the laboratory-produced diamonds are optically, physically and chemically identical to Earth-mined diamonds.

One particularly poignant story was reported in a Toronto Star article where a husband and wife, having lost their baby son shortly after his birth, contacted DNA2Diamonds to create an eternal memento to their son's too-short life. 

This being an estates law blog, I must spoil the tranquility by pointing out that for estates planners, there's potential for a new set of issues to grapple with.  Executors have general authority and discretion to deal with the deceased's body, subject to the usual bevy of qualifications and exceptions the Common Law generates.  How would this principle be applied in the case of a Will directing the creation of a precious gem from the testator's remains?     

Enjoy your week,

Chris Graham

Full post as published by Toronto Estate Law Blog on June 15, 2009 (boomark / email).