Tashmarine Facts


			Medium intensity bluish green to slightly yellowish green

			Tashmarine® is a unique variety of the mineral diopside.

			Tashmarine is mined high in the mountains of Xinjiang Province in China.

			Generally very transparent.

			0.5 carat to 50 carats. Cut in calibrated sizes up to five carats. The largest recorded is a stunning 70.56 carats.

			Ovals and cushions with either standard or checkerboard tops. Portuguese cut rounds and trillions are being produced in calibrated and free sizes. Many stones above five carats are Radial™ Cuts, which feature concave faceting for extra brilliance.

			Tashmarine is not treated: the color is natural, exactly as it is found in the earth.

			The name Tashmarine is a tribute to this gem's east-meets-west origin near the route of the ancient Silk Road in Central Asia. Tash is the word for stone in many of the Pharsee-based Central Asian languages. Marine means ocean in Latin, so tashmarine means ocean-colored stone. Tash is also the nickname of Natasha, the daughter of Eric and Kathe Braunwart, the owners of Columbia Gem House, the company that first brought the gem to market.

			The hardness of Tashmarine is 5.5 on the Mohs scale, similar to tanzanite.

			Try to avoid direct impact to the gemstone. Clean with warm water, detergent, and a soft brush. Store separately from other jewelry and gemstones. Tashmarine can be put in ultrasonic or steam cleaners.

			$40 to $200 per carat for sizes up to five carats. Sizes above five carats are priced individually: prices could be as much as $500 per carat or even more.

			Tashmarine is one of the newest gem varieties: in fact, it's the first gem discovery of the 21st century. The first Tashmarine was discovered in 2001 and Columbia Gem House launched this gem on the world market for the first time in 2002. The Tashmarine shown on this page is featured in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution.