Eterneva | Analytical Chemists Test for Carbon in Cremated Remains

The world-renowned TDI Brooks International, a forensic and analytical chemistry lab that has been doing carbon testing on seabed sediment for decades for the government and oil companies, received an abnormal request in 2019. Eterneva, an ashes to diamond company based in Austin, Texas, wanted them to test for the carbon percentages in cremated remains, hair, and aquamation remains. “We’ve never had a sample with the name of a dead person on it here before,” said their lead scientist. Turns out, cremated remains have on average 1-4% carbon. Hair has 36% carbon. And aquamation remains came in at 16% carbon. Watch here