Diamonds, Engagement Rings & Diamond Jewelry in popular culture

(and in a really icky way)

Everybody knows that Michael Jackson has died.

Everybody remembers the 1984 Pepsi Ad during the filming of which Michael Jackson’s hair caught fire.

And almost everybody has read somewhere that there are several companies that can make diamonds out of the remains of loved ones.

Has everyone done the math yet?

Evidently, during the hair-on-fire incident, Executive Producer Ralph Cohen was the guy who threw his jacket onto Jackson’s head to extinguish the flames.  As Jackson was whisked away by ambulance, Cohen saw some charred Jheri-curl on the set.  Rather than thinking, “Poor guy” or “Yuck” and looking for a janitor, he scooped up the singed locks and held onto them about 25 years. 

The Glowing Eyes. The Glove Extended in Terror. Who Wouldn't Commemorate This Moment With Jewelry?

Then another clearly-disturbed person BOUGHT the burnt hair.  This man, John Reznikoff, is actually a Collector of Famous Hair.  He is said to have delicate tendrils from the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein, and Abraham Lincoln.  He has already had some of Beethoven’s musical waves made into diamonds.

LifeGem is a Chicago-based company that takes the cremains of loved ones—including pets—and turns them into diamonds.  They have been very successful at taking the ashes of people (or dogs, cats, etc.) and using their laboratory to create precious gems.  Reznikoff worked with them to make the Beethoven diamonds. 

But back to the topic at hand.  Reznikoff, having purchased bits of Michael Jackson’s mane, extolled its value, stating that, “The provenance and authenticity of this lock of hair is impeccable, including the highly-publicized video showing the original owner of the hair using his Armani jacket to extinguish Jackson’s hair.”  Reznikoff also bought Cohen’s jacket, probably to snort any ash off of its lining.  One might also point out that the ORIGINAL owner of the hair was, technically, Michael Jackson.

Only a portion of this pop booty will be turned into diamonds.  The rest will remain in Reznikoff’s macabre collection. 

According to Dean VandenBeisen, founder of LifeGem, “We specialize in creating diamonds from locks of hair.  Our plan is to give people an opportunity to own a diamond made from Michael Jackson’s DNA.”  He also points out that, “We are currently evaluating Jackson’s hair sample to determine how many diamonds can be created.  This will be a limited collection and we anticipate great interest.”

And why shouldn’t there be?  Who wouldn’t want the King of Pop dangling from each earlobe?  Who wouldn’t love a lovely pendant made of The Gloved One?  Who wouldn’t proudly wear a charm bracelet with gems of Wacko Jacko?

Evidently, one of the diamonds made from Beethoven’s hair (and we have no chain of evidence to support that they really WERE the locks of Ludwig) sold on eBay for around $200,000.  And THAT guy never sold out the Staples Center.  One can only imagine the cost of a Michael Jackson diamond. 

Keep checking eBay, fans.