The world's most precious diamond.

Danielle Callaghan, 30, was happily engaged to her high school sweetheart and had a fulfilling life with her first child. But two months after giving birth to her daughter, Joey, Danielle's world crumbled when she learned she had stage 4 breast cancer. According to her doctor, her condition was "manageable, not curable." But Danielle was a fighter, and she didn't give up.

Typically, patients like Danielle have to cut their hair before radiation therapy, causing it to fall out completely. But the non-profit organization Breast Cancer Prevention gave Danielle an opportunity to do something extraordinary with her hair – transforming a lock of her hair into a stunning 1.59-carat diamond that carries a message of hope worldwide and could help raise significant funds for charity research.

Dean VandenBiesen, owner of Lifegem, the US company that created Danielle's diamond, explained the process of transforming hair into a diamond as follows: “The carbon in the hair is heated to extremely high temperatures under special conditions. This process converts the carbon into graphite with unique properties. The graphite is then placed in a ‘diamond press’—a machine that creates diamonds at high temperatures and pressures deep underground. The longer the pressing time, the larger the rough diamond crystal will be. The stone from this process is recognized as a high-quality diamond.”

The diamond is then personally inspected, graded, and appraised by gemologists. The world's best jewelers also apply this certification process. Now, a diamond that would normally take millions of years to form naturally is created from carbon found in a lock of hair in just 24 weeks. Mr. VandenBiesen added: “We are very happy to contribute our efforts to this campaign. Because of this, we can help raise awareness about cancer and raise a significant amount of money for charity.”

The diamond was then sent to Paris, where renowned jewelry designer Pascale Monvoisin used a unique gold necklace to create a cutout for the stone. As Danielle wished, a yellow diamond would symbolize the sun, power, and light.

The diamond was displayed at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London – a leading organization in the search for a cure for breast cancer – throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It will serve as a symbol of each patient's battle against the disease. Afterwards, the diamond will be given back to Danielle for safekeeping and will be passed on to her daughter, Joey.

Throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month, people from all over the world will be encouraged to contribute to the fund via the website.mostpreciousstone.comLet's work together to make Danielle's diamond the most valuable gemstone in the world, even more valuable than Tiffany or Chopard diamonds – because the more valuable the gemstone, the more the Breast Cancer Foundation can help women.

A short film about this campaign was shot by Dutch director Nina Aaldering to help people better understand Danielle's life. It is a tribute to her courage and will inspire people around the globe to join the fight, donate, and help make Danielle's diamond the most valuable gemstone in the world.

This campaign began globally on October 1st. Media outlets such as films, websites, videos, news reports, print advertisements in British magazines, influential figures, and social media will be major drivers in making Danielle's diamond the "world's most valuable gemstone".

Danielle's story is similar to that of thousands of other women around the world. Sadly, one in eight women will be affected by breast cancer. Danielle Callaghan shared: “This diamond is not meant to adorn any throne or be worn by any queen. It is not thousands of years old, but it holds an extraordinary story: It is my story, and the story of millions of women who have suffered from breast cancer.”

breast cancer organization

Established in 1993, the organization's goal is to prevent, detect early, and conduct research on new treatments.

Kelly Gibson, head of the organization, said: “If we continue our research, by 2050 all breast cancer patients will have a chance to live. The charitable funds generated by the ‘world’s most precious gem’ are crucial to our goal. Elevating the value of the diamond also means increasing hope for millions of patients suffering from this terrible disease.”

Lan Oanh