from Billboard.com

Jeweler Plans To Sell Diamonds From The King of Pop’s Locks

by Alex Palmer, N.Y.  |   July 24, 2009 3:56 EDT

The charred locks of hair from Michael Jackson‘s disastrous Pepsi commercial shoot are being turned into diamonds. Chicago-based jeweler LifeGem, which specializes in creating high-quality diamonds from individual hair samples, has announced plans to release a limited collection made from the King of Pop’s hair.

“Our plan is to give people an opportunity to own a diamond made from Michael Jackson’s DNA,” said Dean VandenBiesen, founder of LifeGem, in a statement.

The hair was first obtained by executive producer Ralph Cohen during the now-infamous 1984 Pepsi shoot for Pepsi when Jackson’s hair caught on fire. After helping extinguish Jackson’s hair with his Armani jacket, Cohen scooped up the hair and put it into the jacket’s pocket, where it remained until Jackson’s death 25 years later.

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