The great music composer Ludwig van Beethoven is said to set shine on this world again - after a lock of his hair was grown into a precious diamond. This sparkling blue stone that was created by using tiny amounts of carbon extracted from 10 strands of the famous musician's brown hair. It is the first time that a celebrity or historical figure's hair has been turned into a diamond - and the rock is expected to sell for £500,000. The late musician's locks came from a collection of famous hair stored at the University Archives in Connecticut in the US. Experts exposed the extracted carbon to extremely high temperatures before placing it under an enormous weight for two weeks.During that time, the carbon grew into a 0.56 carat diamond which is now going to be sold off for charity. It is now listed on internet auction site eBay and LifeGem, the company that has made the diamond, is hoping there will be bids from around the world. 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." John Reznikoff, president of the University Archives, holds the Guinness World Record for the largest and most valuable collection of celebrity and historical hair.
Hundreds of years ago it was the trend to cut some strands of hair and place them inside a locket. Mr Reznikoff has been collecting these locks for the last 50 years and Beethoven's is estimated to be about 200 years old. He decided to donate the composer's hair to LifeGem for the charity auction after it was decided Beethoven is a figure of worldwide appeal. Experts at LifeGem HQ in Chicago then burned the hair without oxygen to ensure it did not disintegrate.
They extracted 130 milligrammes of carbon from 10 strands and divided it into three separate diamond presses. Each of the presses was exposed to temperatures of 3,000 degrees celsius and placed under one million pounds of pressure for a two week growing period. Once ready, the stones were cut into Round Brilliant Diamonds, polished and then certified. One of the diamonds will be returned to the University Archives and the other will be placed on display in the LifeGem archives. The third will be listed on eBay for 30 days but the reserve price has not yet been released. Mr Hampson said: "The lock of Beethoven's hair was generously donated to LifeGem by the University Archives.
"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.
"The diamond is not in a setting, it just comes on its own.
"The money will then 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. Mr Hampson added: "The proceeds of this historical diamond will give us the opportunity to help a great number of children. "But it also highlights the the new technology that enables us to make a diamond from a lock of hair. "In the past we have only been able to make diamonds from a person's ashes. "But now people are given the opportunity to give a gift as a celebration of life."
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