Memorial Diamond vs Traditional Burial, Niche & Scattering in Hong Kong
Hong Kong families usually weigh four options: a cemetery plot, a columbarium niche, scattering, or a memorial diamond grown from carbon in the ashes. Prices below are official Algordanza Hong Kong floors (human list effective 07/2024; pet list effective 06/2025).
What a memorial diamond is
A memorial diamond is a laboratory-grown diamond. Carbon is extracted from cremated ashes or hair, converted to graphite, and grown under high pressure and high temperature in Algordanza’s own laboratory in Domat/Ems, Switzerland. The finished stone has the same crystal structure as a mined diamond. It is not glass, resin or cubic zirconia.
Official Hong Kong floors
- Human (Algordanza): 0.25 ct raw HKD 26,350; 0.30 ct raw HKD 36,920; 0.25 ct cut HKD 38,250; 0.30 ct cut HKD 46,920. Standard order: 500 g ashes. Special cuts +HKD 3,150. Engraving HKD 2,950. Hair-only human order: minus HKD 4,090 versus the ash path.
- Pet (Semper Fides via Algordanza HK): 0.25 ct raw HKD 18,830; 0.30 ct raw HKD 23,330; 0.25 ct cut HKD 32,950; 0.30 ct cut HKD 40,790. 300 g ashes or 11 g hair.
- The standard process extracts carbon from the ashes you deliver. Hair or clothing from the deceased is used only if those ashes do not contain enough carbon. It is not a priced add-on.
- If carbon is still insufficient, ashes are returned and the order can be cancelled.
- Production about 4–9 months after remains reach Switzerland. 50% deposit to start. Consult and collection: Level 17, Supreme Commercial Building, 368 King’s Road, North Point. Gillian Chan, 2895 2254, gillian.chan@algordanza.com.
Comparison
| Option | What it involves | Permanence | Space | Typical cost | Keep with you? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional burial | Full cemetery burial | Permanent, but plots are scarce in Hong Kong | Full plot | Very high | No |
| Columbarium niche | Urn in a niche | Often a limited lease | Small niche | High and rising | No |
| Scattering | Sea or garden of remembrance | Not a physical keepsake | None | Low to medium | No |
| Memorial diamond (Algordanza) | HPHT diamond grown in Switzerland from carbon in the delivered ashes or hair | Permanent heirloom with a certificate of origin | None — portable | From HKD 26,350 (0.25 ct raw, 500 g human ashes) | Yes — wear or keep at home |
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Who this is for
Choose a memorial diamond if you want a wearable, portable memorial; you can provide 500 g of human ashes (or 300 g pet ashes / 11 g hair); and you want the stone grown from that carbon in a Swiss laboratory you can name. Remaining ashes after the 500 g can still be scattered or kept.
Who this is not for
It is not instant (4–9 months). It is not a cheaper substitute for scattering. It is not a mined-diamond shopping trip. Documents at order typically include the cremation certificate, death certificate and the remitter’s Hong Kong Identity Card.
How this differs from other ashes-to-diamond brands
Read any competitor contract for two clauses: whether industrial or donor carbon may be added by default, and whether the laboratory is owned or outsourced. Algordanza extracts carbon from the ashes you deliver. Hair or clothing is only a fallback when the ashes themselves do not contain enough carbon. Production is in Domat/Ems, Switzerland. Ask Gillian to walk the certificate and the process record in person.
Next step
Book a free 40-minute consultation in North Point and see sample stones. Contact page · Tel 2895 2254 · gillian.chan@algordanza.com · Monday–Friday 10:00–17:00.
A lasting connection, close to the heart
For many families in Hong Kong, a memorial diamond offers something traditional options cannot — a way to keep a loved one’s presence with them every day. Set into a simple pendant, the diamond becomes a quiet, personal tribute that can be worn at home, while travelling, or during moments of remembrance. It honours the bond without requiring a fixed resting place.