Interview:

A man on a mission.
Dec. 13, 2007
An interview with the President and CEO of New Life Diamonds & Gems, Michael Payton.

New Life Diamonds is located in Colorado Springs and is a dealer of colored cultured diamonds and Life Diamonds. Mr. Payton and his company is also sponsoring the Diamonds of Hope Celebrity Diamond Auction. www.newlifediamonds.com

Maverick: Michael, what are cultured diamonds exactly? I'm not really familiar with them.
Michael: To answer that question I'll need to give you a little history lesson first.
Maverick: OK,
Michael: The technology to create diamonds in a lab has been available since the 1950's when General Electric teamed up with the Russians and created a machine that duplicates the atmospheric pressure of inner earth where natural diamonds are actually formed. It's only been in the last ten years that they have been able to create gem quality diamonds. The majority of the cultured diamond market fills the industrial diamond demand and only a small percentage of the diamonds made are actually used for gems.
Maverick: What's the difference between a mined diamond and a cultured diamond made in a lab?
Michael: As far as a physical difference-there is none. Cultured diamonds are molecularly identical to mined diamonds except New Life Diamonds are 100% conflict and child labor free. It takes about 10 million years to create a mined diamond and about 2 weeks to create one in a lab. The best part is that cultured diamonds are available in a variety of colors.
Maverick: Colors? Really? What colors?
Michael: I currently sell red, green, blue and yellow.
Maverick: How are they made?
Michael: Right now there are two basic methods. One is called CVD and that stands for chemical vapor disposition- essentially they take a small diamond seed and place it into an atmospheric chamber and bombard that seed with carbon and nitrogen while applying massive heat and pressure which causes diamond crystals to form attached to the seed. Basically growing a diamond under lab conditions.
Maverick: That sounds pretty cool!
Michael: It's very cool. The second way which is used to create my Life Diamonds.
Maverick: Now what are Life Diamonds?
Michael: A Life Diamond is created by taking human or pet hair….
Maverick: Did you say hair?
Michael: Absolutely! The human body is made of carbon and carbon is what diamonds are made of. We take the hair or cremation remains….
Maverick: Cremation remains…you mean ashes? You're making diamonds from human hair and cremation ashes?
Michael: Correct. Pretty cool..huh? We call them cremains. Anyway, they take that hair sample or cremains sample and reduce them to carbon. Then place that carbon in an engineered crucible and place it into an atmospheric chamber and apply intense heat and pressure. This process is called the HPHT process. Stands for high pressure high temperature If we want to create a blue diamond we add boron and if we want a yellow we add more nitrogen.
Maverick: You have got to be kidding?
Michael: Nope. This is what we do.
Maverick: How long does this process take?
Michael: Approximately 16 to 20 weeks?
Maverick: How does the diamond industry feel about cultured diamonds?
Michael: You know the industry as a whole has been slow to embrace the idea, but people are becoming more aware and are actually starting to demand them. Demand for fancy colored diamonds are really taking off.
Maverick: How expensive are they?
Michael: Not to bad actually. I sell a cultured .5ct yellow round brilliant cut in SI clarity for $1,150 and I sell a Life Diamond with the same qualities created from human hair or ashes for $5000. We offer a best price guarantee so our prices really can't be beat.
Maverick: So for $5,000 bucks I can get a real yellow diamond created from a lock of my daughter's hair.
Michael: Exactly! But get this. On Jan 1st we introduced two new trademarked Signature Diamonds to our Family of Life Diamonds. One is the Unity Diamond where we can take a small hair sample from two different people and create a diamond. So, if you can imagine an actual diamond created from a bride and groom, husband and wife, brother and sister or from each life partner.
Maverick: That's incredible. So if an engaged couple wants to have a diamond made from their hair and placed in a bridal setting you can do that?
Michael: Yes, absolutely-that's what inspired the Unity Diamond. The other is called the Trinity Diamond and it's created from the hair of three or more people. This diamond was inspired so Mom could have an anniversary diamond actually created from all of her children or a diamond for grandma created from all 23 grandkids.
Maverick: Wow, my mind is racing considering the possibilities.
Michael: I know, every time I start thinking about the possibilities I get excited like a little kid at Christmas.
Maverick: Who else is doing this?
Michael: There are a few companies that just do what they call Memorial Diamonds and I call Life Diamonds and a few that create cultured diamonds for the custom jeweler industry, but I am the only dealer of both cultured diamonds and Life Diamonds. When we trademarked the Unity Diamond it only seemed natural to combine the two industries. So now I can sell to the custom jewelers as well as provide them a source to offer the ultimate bridal diamond imaginable.
Maverick: Very impressive!
Michael: Thanks! Want to know what else were doing?
Maverick: Sure, like my brains not on overload already.
Michael: We believe ever company should have a charity of choice, so for the 2008 calendar year we will be donating $25 for every 3/4ct of larger sold to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Maverick: That's great!
Michael: We are also sponsoring the Diamonds of Hope Celebrity Diamond Auction.
Maverick: Now, what is that?
Michael: We are asking Celebrities to donate a lock of hair to be turned into three diamonds of various sizes to be auctioned off with the proceeds to benefit their charities of choice.
Maverick: That sounds exciting. Which celebrities have donated so far?
Michael: Sorry Mav, but until I post them on my site my lips are sealed. Were in negotiations with a number of celebrities trying to work out the details, so until that dotted line is signed I'm bound by confidentiality.
Maverick: I understand.
Michael: One of the most interesting things about The Diamonds of Hope Celebrity Diamond Auction is how we plan to fund and promote it.
Maverick: After what you've told me so far, I'm afraid to guess.
Michael: About six months ago I started purchasing authenticated hair samples from about 20 historical figures, I intend to have a three set series of diamonds created from each hair sample and will be auctioning off one set a month until the Diamonds of Hope Grand Finale in late 2009 where our goal is to raise 100 million to be distributed to charities across the globe.
Maverick: What historical figures are we talking about and when do you plan to start auctioning them off?
Michael: Right now I have 4 Ebay auctions offering to presale a .5 ct Blue Elvis, yellow Marilyn Monroe, green John F. Kennedy and red John Lennon. So for the 4 luck people who purchase one they will have a chance of a lifetime to own a diamond actually created form the hair of that person. These 4 are scheduled to be delivered in Mid to late June. The official start date scheduled for June or July 2008.
Maverick: You're actually having a diamond made from Elvis Presley's hair?
Michael: Isn't that cool, I'm very excited. Right now the EBay auction is not getting much attention, because I have not done any promotion or advertising for it.
Maverick: Why is that?
Michael: The way I see it is that once the media gets a hold of what I am doing the whole thing will begin to grow on it's own at a pace that is beyond my control. So by preselling them now like this is really the only chance for an average Joe to own something that could be worth two or three hundred thousand in 6 or 8 months.
Maverick: Could you have a diamond made by combining the hair of John Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe?
Michael: uh…sure, but I would be a bit hesitant. I don't really want to be sued by the Kennedy Estate, if you know what I mean.
Maverick: I can understand that.
Michael: If I did something like that it would be for my private collection. I considered doing an Elvis, Marilyn and James Dean Diamond and call it A Living Legend Diamond.
Maverick: I'd call that genius!
Michael: Thanks, I'd like to think that the things were doing is literally making history.
Maverick: Mike, I hate to ask this but is there anything else you want to share with me?
Michael: No, I'm good.
Maverick: Well Mike, thanks you for the education and your time today. It sound like you might be on to something.
Michael: No, Thank you for taking to time to meet with me. We are expecting great things in 2008.

Article:

Jan 22, 2008
New Life Diamonds is Literally Making History with Cultured Diamonds
By Maverick

A new generation of Cultured Diamonds has arrived. Michael Payton, Founder and CEO of New Life Diamonds & Gems of Colorado Springs, Colorado is making history in the cultured diamond industry. According to a company press release dated January 1st, 2008, New Life Diamonds and Gems have trademarked two Signature Diamonds that are actually created from human hair. That's correct…I said human hair! This technology is nothing new. For the past five years a company called LifeGems has be selling memorial diamonds that are created from cremation remains (ashes). Last year they created a .56 ct carat blue Diamond created from a hair sample from Ludwig Von Beethoven that was provided from John Reznikoff, one of the largest collectors of historical human hair. It was sold it on EBay for $202,700. That was a historical first.

New Life Diamonds is taking a different approach. Life Diamonds is what Mr. Payton calls his diamonds. "I wanted to focus on the celebration of life aspect instead of the memorial part. That's what inspired The Unity and Trinity Diamonds", explains Mr. Payton. The Unity Diamond-- is a colored culture diamond that is actually created from combining a small sample of hair from two people. "This is the absolute perfect bridal diamond. What we're doing is taking a symbolic gesture of love and commitment and creating a literal bond of two people and immortalizing them in a real diamond. How cool is that? The Trinity Diamond-- is the same as the Unity Diamond-- except that you can combine the hair from three or more people. Imagine a real diamond actually created from the hair from all 16 of your grandchildren or from all 4 of your kids or even one created from three or four generations. The possibilities are endless", according to Mr. Payton.

Most people have never heard of cultured diamonds and many jewelers have never even seen one, but diamond industry experts expect that to change. In an article from The Wall Street Journal titled Diamond Wars, it explains that "cultured diamonds are grown more quickly in a lab but are still chemically-authentic. In the same way that cultured pearls grew to account for 95% of the pearl market, the Wall Street Journal recently projected these diamonds to have a prominent impact on this tightly-controlled market now that the technology is able to produce them at gem-level qualities indistinguishable from traditional, mined diamonds. This is good news to many since traditional diamonds have been criticized for threatening the environment and funding civil wars, this latter point being most-recently addressed in the film Blood Diamond. While Tiffany's says they won't carry them, they are already gaining ground in the U.S. market".

How are cultured diamonds made you ask? According to Mr. Payton "there are two basic methods. One is called CVD and that stands for chemical vapor disposition- essentially they take a small diamond seed and place it into an atmospheric chamber and bombard that seed with carbon and nitrogen while applying massive heat and pressure which causes diamond crystals to form attached to the seed diamond. It's basically growing a diamond under lab conditions. The other way is to take a hair sample or a cremains sample and reduce them to carbon. Then place that carbon in an engineered crucible and place it into an atmospheric chamber and apply intense heat and pressure. This process is called the HPHT process. It stands for high pressure high temperature. If we want to create a blue diamond we add boron and if we want a yellow we add more nitrogen. It's a very cool process". New Life Diamonds offers four colors: red, green, blue and yellow and sizes range from .25 cts to 2. cts.

New Life Diamonds and Gems, LLC is also sponsoring the Diamonds of Hope Celebrity Diamond Auction and will be auctioning off diamonds created from the hair of celebrity donors to benefit their charity or foundation of choice. Mr. Payton plans to fund and promote the Diamonds of Hope auction by selling diamonds that are being created from authenticated hair from over 16 different historical figures that include Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, JFK, John Lennon and Ronald Reagan. "Our goal is to raise 100 million for charities across the globe, while doing our part to make the world a little better place", states Mr. Payton. New Life Diamonds has designated the Make-a-Wish Foundation as their charity of choice for the 2008 calendar year and has pledged $25 from every Life Diamond sold to help make a child's dream come true.

For more information on cultured diamonds, Life Diamonds or The Diamonds of Hope Celebrity Diamond Auction please visit the New Life Diamonds website at www.newlifdiamonds.com.

Press Release:

New Life Diamonds & Gems, LLC
P.O. Box 62447
Colorado Springs, CO 80962-2447
newlifediamonds@yahoo.com

The UNITY DIAMOND™…where two become one, bonded together throughout eternity!
The Trinity Diamond™….bonding families together forever

On January 1st 2008, New Life Diamonds & Gems,LLC announced the two latest addition to their family of Life Diamonds. The UNITY DIAMOND™....a certified high quality one-of-a-kind Fancy Colored Cultured Diamond created from a small amount of human hair donated from two people. The perfect bridal diamond immortalizing the bond of two people. The Trinity Diamond™….is also a certified high quality one-of-a-kind Fancy Colored Cultured Diamond created from a small amount of human hair donated from three or more people. Both New Life Signature Diamonds are available in Yellow, Red, Blue, and Green ranging from .25 ct to 2. cts in size. Both are very affordable and are trademarked exclusively to New Life Diamonds & Gems,LLC and are only available from New Life Diamonds & Gems,LLC or one of their “Authorized Trade Partners”. The Unity and Trinity Diamonds are the newest member of the Life Diamond family which also includes:

• The CELEBRATION of LIFE diamond….created from a small sample of human hair or cremation remains-“cremains” from a departed loved one…. a symbolic tribute to love everlasting. And
• The BELLA MIA diamond…created from a small sample of animal hair or cremation remains-“cremains” from a beloved pet, honoring their unconditional love and commitment that only they can provide.

New Life Diamonds are “REAL” diamonds exhibiting the identical molecular properties as naturally mined diamonds except New Life Diamonds are 100% conflict and child labor free. New Life Diamonds are an ethical environmental-friendly alternative to Natural Diamonds.

New Life Diamonds and Gems is also sponsoring The Diamonds of Hope Celebrity Diamond Auction in late 2009. Raising money by auctioning off diamonds created from the hair of celebrity donors. Our goal is to raise 100 Million to be distributed to each celebrity’s charity of choice. This year (2008) New Life will donate $25 for each .75 ct diamond or larger sold from the Life Diamond family collection to the MAKE-A-WISH foundation.

For additional information visit our website and experience a new generation of Cultured Diamonds.

www.newlifediamonds.com

Memories sometimes fade, but a diamond last forever!

NEW LIFE DIAMONDS & GEMS, LLC
“Diamonds of Hope”
Celebrity Diamond Auction

New Life Diamonds CEO, Michael Payton would like to issue a challenge and offer an opportunity to all celebrities, sports figures and politicians to join in his crusade to make the world a little better place.
We are looking for celebrities to donate a lock of hair to be turned into 3 diamonds of various sizes to be auctioned off online at a predetermined date at the end of 2009. The proceeds will be given to their charities or foundations of choice. Our goal would be to raise 100 million for charitable organizations across the globe while immortalizing our public figures and celebrity icons in diamonds. I can think of no better or fitting tribute. We can also create diamonds from two or more people….imagine a diamond created from the cast of Cheers, Seinfeld or Friends.

So, if you know Oprah, Mel, Cher, Britney, Courtney, Clint, Robert, Ellen or Madonna spread the word. Have them contact NEW LIFE DIAMONDS & GEMS for information on how to donate. We would also love to see donations from all members of the U.S. Senate and House as well as past and present Presidents and First ladies. Together….we can make the world a better place.

To help fund and promote the “Diamonds of Hope” charity event, every month beginning in June 2008, New Life Diamonds & Gems, LLC will be auctioning off up to three diamonds of various sizes created from an authenticated and certified hair sample from 18 different historical figures including:

Elvis Presley (June 2008), Marilyn Monroe (July 08), J.F.K. (Aug. 08), John Lennon (Sept. 08), George Washington, Napoleon, Mother Theresa, Geronimo, Robert E. Lee, Richard Nixon, Queen Victoria, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Jefferson Davis, Eisenhower, Ron Reagan, Andrew Jackson, Alexander Hamilton, Ted Williams, Jacque Kennedy Onassis and Henry Ford.

Please watch for periodic press releases and we’ll keep our site updated with a current list of celebrity donors!

Help us help others and together we can make a difference!

Press Release:

New Life Diamonds and Gems, LLC
P.O. Box 62447
Colorado Springs, CO 80962-2447

www.newlifediamonds.com

Diamonds of Hope

To help fund and promote the “Diamonds of Hope” charity event, New Life Diamonds is pre-selling a ½ ct blue, round cut Elvis Presley Diamond, a ½ ct fancy yellow, princess cut Marilyn Monroe Diamond, a ½ ct green, round cut John F. Kennedy Diamond and a ½ ct red, round cut John Lennon Diamond. These diamonds will be created from authenticated hair samples. When possible, the hair samples being used are from a combination of two separately authenticated samples acquired from two different reputable sources as a way to ensure authenticity. Each diamond will come with numerous documents and certifications of authenticity.

The combined hair sample will be reduced to its basic element…carbon and a real diamond will be created using the HHHP process (high heat, high pressure). Cultured Diamond are real diamonds exhibiting the same identical properties of naturally mined diamonds except New Life Diamonds are 100% conflict and slave labor free. Each Diamond will be laser engraved along the girdle with an identity number and the name of the authenticated celebrity icon.

Each Diamond will be created by the exact same process as the .56 ct Beethoven Diamond which sold on EBay for $202,700 in Sept 2007. Each ½ ct Diamond is expected to sell for over $300,000 with a low opening bid of $50,000.

Three individual diamonds will be created from each sample: The ½ ct Diamonds being presold at this time will help fund and promote the “Diamonds of Hope” celebrity auction set to start in June 2008 where the other two Elvis diamonds will be auctioned off. To help fund and promote the “Diamonds of Hope” charity event, every month beginning in June 2008, New Life Diamonds & Gems, LLC will be auctioning off up to three diamonds of various sizes created from an authenticated and certified hair samples from 18 different historical figures including:
Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, J.F.K., John Lennon, George Washington, Napoleon, Mother Theresa, Geronimo, Robert E. Lee, Richard Nixon, Queen Victoria, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Jefferson Davis, Eisenhower, Ron Reagan, Andrew Jackson, Alexander Hamilton, Ted Williams, Jacque Kennedy Onassis and Henry Ford.

All four ½ ct diamonds are scheduled to be auctioned off on EBay in a 10 day auction beginning January 4, 2008 and ending on January 13,2008. The Elvis diamond will be delivered by mid May and the Marilyn, J.F.K., and Lennon Diamonds will be delivered mid-June.

For more information on The Diamonds of Hope Celebrity Diamond Auction please visit our website at www.newlifediamonds.com or contact us at newlifediamonds@yahoo.com

Help us, help others and together we can make a difference!