Michael Jackson will soon be transformed from king to bling.A synthetic-gem company announced yesterday that it plans to turn some of the late gloved singing star's hair into diamonds and offer them for sale."I was thinking about a vehicle that would most make sense for handling the King of Pop, and I couldn't think of anything classier than to make a gemstone," said John Reznikoff, a memorabilia collector now in possession of the Jackson hair sample.The locks slated to become diamonds were collected in 1984, after the infamous incident in which Jacko's scalp caught fire as he filmed a fireworks-laced Pepsi ad.Ad producer Ralph Cohen picked the hair up off the floor after helping smother the flames with his coat. He sold the tuft to Reznikoff last month after Michael's death.The hair will be made into yellow diamonds weighing two carats each.Reznikoff and Russell VandenBiesen, a spokesman for the diamond maker LifeGem, said they haven't set a price yet.The company -- which uses a powerful press machine that mimics the power of the Earth to form a diamond from carbon -- used the same method on the hair of another music legend, Ludwig van Beethoven.A Jackson family spokesman did not return a call for comment.
JACKO'S DIAMONDS IN THE TUFT - New York Post