Eboni Lacey 
09/1/2010 
Diamond Skill Research Paper

The masterpiece of this diamond skull is entitled “For The Love of God,” and was made by artist Damien Hirst. The piece consists of a platinum cast of a human skull with real human teeth and 8,601 diamonds set inside the skull. According to www.whitecube .com, the skull costs an estimated $98 million. The diamond skull was originally made to represent human existence. Before the diamond skull was made, forensic experts examined the original skull and concluded that it was of a 35 year old European man who lived between the year 1720 and 1810. 
Artist Damien Hirst’s inspiration of this piece and his other pieces evolves from his interest with the human body. Hirst’s inspiration has ultimately made way for him to explore the true meanings of life, death, immortality and love through his artwork.  In the “For the Love of God” piece, Hirst decided to manipulate death by adding an element that is said to last forever, which is diamonds. By using the theme of death and the element of diamonds, Hirst’s intention was to trick the audience and add a different perspective. “Death is such a heavy subject,” Hirst said in a New York Times article. “It would be good to make something that laughed in the face of it.” 
“For The Love of God” is said to be the most expensive piece of contemporary artwork ever created. The piece is actually funded by Hirst who watched and waited for the price of diamonds to be in his affordable budget. The diamonds all have a better quality than those seen in the average jewelry store as the diamonds contain little to no flaws. Though the piece has started a bit of controversy, Hirst’s originality and exploration has ultimately created a name for himself within the contemporary art world.