What is "lifegem"

LifeGem is a diamond company based in Chicago. Established as the International Research & Recovery Corporation, LifeGem was the first U.S. company to develop a way to extract carbon from human remains. According to Dean VandenBiesen, speaking on the Stan and Terry show May 7, 2007, the company is able to create a diamond from a lock of hair. The company was founded in 2001 by Greg Herro, Mike Herro, Rusty VandenBiesen, and Dean VandenBiesen, and was first based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. It is now headquartered in Chicago and a second office, under the name LifeGem UK, was recently opened in Hove, England. In 2006, LifeGem had US$7.5 million in revenue. Projections for 2007 included an increased sales of 15% to 20%. LifeGem's services are offered at over 580 of the nearly 20,000 funeral homes in the United States.