Fans of Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum’s two-times World Cup-winning show jumper Shutterfly could soon own a unique piece of memorabilia — a diamond made out of his hair.
The “Shutterfly Diamond” is up for auction in Germany to raise money for charity.
The large one-carat, white-blue diamond made from the tail hair of Shutterfly has been created by Semper Fides Diamonds in Salzgitter.
Diamonds form naturally at high pressures about 200km below the earth’s surface. The company’s manufacturing process simulates this by heating hair to 2,500°C and isolating the minerals within it to create a diamond.
Semper Fides Diamonds was founded by Thomas Peter in 2006 when he decided to produce diamonds from pets as a special memento for owners.
Herr Peter lost his mother to cancer when he was nine and aims to raise ¤100,000 (£87,732) from the sale for the German cancer support charity Deutsche Krebshilfe EV.
Meredith said: “I am thrilled. Just a few hairs is enough to create something really special for all eternity and every cent helps the fight against cancer.”
In December 2006, a diamond made from Isabell Werth’s grand prix dressage horse Satchmo raised ¤14,000 (£12,275) for the same cancer charity (news, 18 January 2007).
Bids can be made over the summer, culminating in a sale at the German Masters in Stuttgart this November.
Visit www.semperfides.eu
This article was first published in Horse & Hound (12 February, ’09)
