Carbon Found in Human Hair: in What Other Ways Can It Be Used?
The elements of carbon are the building bricks of life. It makes up a fantastic variety of substances that form tissues, organs, hair, and even our human bodies. Moreover, in the hundred years that humans have been mining natural diamonds underground, the composition of raw diamonds has been explored by science and technology: 99.95% of which are carbon. Today, scientists are extracting the carbon from hair to make lab-grown diamonds to complete this romantic transformation – carbon out of hair is grown to be the man-made diamond in the lab.
You might still be suspicious about these man-made diamonds in the lab. Let’s walk into this mysterious world:
Carbon: The essential element that makes up hair
Although hair appears to be one long black, blonde, red, or white strand after another, it is a very complex machine. It requires many parts working together in complex relationships ranging from the microscopic to the macromolecular level. The structure that makes up the sum of these parts, such as proteins and nucleic acids, is determined by the proportions and interactions of the chemical elements.
Some elements are much more common than others. The five most abundant elements in hair are COHNS (Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Sulfur). Also present are: Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Magnesium. The remaining 0.15% is made up of trace elements for the human body. The mass of trace elements does not add up to more than magnesium, which is the least common non-trace element. Based on laboratory evidence, some trace elements (about a dozen) may be necessary for the growth of life.
The blonde hair in the sunny day.
The function of carbon
Its primarily structural role is forming the “backbone” of many organic molecules.
Carbon is the giver of life. Carbon is the most common element in hair, accounting for 40-45% of hair by mass. Your skin and hair, blood and bones, muscles, and tendons depend on carbon. Trees and flowers, fruits and nuts, insects and butterflies, humans, and dinosaurs contain elemental carbon. Every cell in your body, every part of every cell, depends on a solid carbon skeleton. The carbon in a mother’s breast milk becomes her child’s beating heart. Carbon is the chemical essence of your loved one’s eyes, hands, lips, and brain. When you breathe in, you exhale carbon, and when you kiss, you are embraced by carbon atoms.
The lab-grown diamond is the natural diamond
Of all the different high-pressure forms of carbon-bearing minerals, both known and as yet undiscovered crystalline structures, the diamond will always hold pride of place. The diamond occupies the ideal position between scarcity and rarity: it is abundant enough that almost everyone can have one, yet rare sufficient that large newsworthy gems can fetch millions of dollars. Hundreds of millions of gemstones have been mined, large enough to make rings or necklaces and small enough to decorate and mount a variety of designs. Hundreds of millions of consumers would like to own one or more. The allure of diamonds is ever-present in our lives.
But it’s gorgeous. At your engagement ceremony, your partner pulls it out to bring you this precious gift, especially one made of hair. Looking at this diamond engagement ring, it’s the heart connection between the loving couple.
Why should you buy a diamond engagement ring?
Diamonds are a universal way to express your love for someone. Because they can last forever, they have become a symbol of eternal love.
Diamonds can represent many things in different cultures. For sure, they are very special to anyone who owns them.
The ancient Greeks had a name for diamonds, which meant they were unconquerable. Roman poets spoke of diamonds because they symbolized power and something invincible. Later, in the Middle Ages, diamonds were believed to be the gods’ tears and bring good luck to those who held them close. Later, kings began to decorate their crowns or necklaces with diamonds and presented them to their queens as a sign of stability and wealth.
Various cultures from ancient times have viewed the diamond as a symbol of eternal love. The origin of this idea is that people have always associated diamonds with strength and longevity, for example：
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One of the earliest associations associated with diamonds is light. Because they symbolize pure light and perfection, diamonds represent beauty in their purest form. Once you place a diamond in front of a direct source of light, it will shine brighter than anything you have ever seen.
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Diamonds are often associated with wealth, as they have become a status symbol. Royalty and nobility usually collect necklaces, brooches, crowns, or other valuable items involving diamonds. Today, when a celebrity or famous actress walks down the aisle, diamonds must be worn to show their influence and wealth. And let’s not forget the royal family. Every member of the royal family has access to a valuable collection of gems. A royal bride can choose the crown she will wear to symbolize acceptance and power.
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The diamond ring has become a symbol of eternal and sincere love. This is why a unique engagement ring should have a diamond sign of marriage and future happiness together. Today, a diamond stone in a small box symbolizes engagement and represents the first step towards a wedding and a new life with the person you love.
Why can hair be made of diamond?
It’s the carbon that makes the hair turn to be a shining lab-grown diamond.
Carbon is the element of crystals, cycles, and stuff. Carbon, incorporated into myriad solid, liquid, and gaseous forms, plays countless chemical roles that touch every facet of our lives. But what of living organisms, which display structures and functions far more complex than any inanimate material of nature or industry? What element will provide the vital spark of life?
All diamonds (man-made or mined) are essentially carbon, compressed, and heated deep in the Earth for millions of years. Sunny Eden™️ simulates these same conditions in the lab using a unique, specialized hydraulic press that compresses under tremendous pressure. Carbon extracted from hair is cultured under high temperature and pressure to grow real diamonds. Instead of years, we do it in a matter of months.
Diamonds out of hair are real diamonds. They are not fake nor forged diamonds. They have the same characteristics as a naturally mined diamond, the same hardness, the same sparkle.
What is a lab-grown diamond?
Lab-grown diamonds are also created using extremely high pressure and high temperature but inside a machine rather than the bowels of the Earth.
There are two ways to grow a diamond. Both involve starting with the “seed” (a flat slither). The first lab method was made using a High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) system. The seed is then placed amidst some pure graphite carbon and exposed to temperatures of about 1,500C, and pressurized to approximately 1.5 million pounds per square inch in a chamber.
Another way to grow a diamond was discovered, called Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). This involves putting the seed in a sealed chamber filled with carbon-rich gas and heating it to around 800C. Under these conditions, the gases begin to “stick” to the seed, growing a diamond carbon atom by atom.
Lab-grown diamonds are created using extreme pressure and heat inside a machine rather than the bowels of the Earth. The technology behind lab diamonds has made crucial advances in recent years, allowing companies to grow higher quality diamonds more rapidly and more cheaply. It has meant growing competition between lab diamond and mined diamond companies.
Where to buy lab-grown diamond engagement rings?
Having a strand of your own or your partner’s hair customized into a hair diamond and pulling out the sparkling ring on your big day - the engagement ceremony - is an unprecedented commemorative event in life. At Sunny Eden™️, all customers can find high-quality lab diamonds, all handcrafted and set in 18k white, yellow, or rose gold for a dazzling ring. All diamond styles are carefully cut under a microscope and hand-set in a style that gives a ring a stunning sparkle.
Sunny Eden™️ is a sustainable hair diamond and wedding band brand founded in scenic California and dedicated to providing happy lovers with diamond engagement rings in a wide variety of colors and styles. Our lab experts handcraft exquisite and minimalist jewelry that incorporates a love of the profession into every day and strives to customize and tell each client’s love story with classic and timeless designs. Your hair diamond ring tells the story of your love, both in the heart of the moment and in the love of eternity.
