Gem Library

BUYER’S OVERVIEW:
Tashmarine is considered to be a semi-precious gemstone in the Diopside group. The availability of Tashmarine is very limited and the only known deposit of the material has been exhausted. While clean stones of good size and color are available, they are rare and typically gems do not exceed 1-2 carats, however some larger stones above 5 carats are available (for a price). Tashmarine is a relative newcomer to the gem community but is attracting increasing attention due to its bright bluish green to yellow green color, much lighter and brighter than other Diopsides.

COLOR:
Tashmarine is seen in a narrow color range from medium bluish green to slightly yellow green.

APPEARANCE:
Transparent. Tashmarine is usually included, however the best gems are eye clean.

SIZE RANGE:
Melee (0.01 carat) sizes to 2 carats, high quality stones over 1 carat are scarce and over 5 carats are very rare. The largest gem recorded is 70.56 carats.

TYPICAL CUTTING STYLES:
Transparent: most cutting styles are available.

POSSIBLE ENHANCEMENTS & TREATMENTS:
Tashmarine has no known enhancements.

HARDNESS:
5½ on the Mohs scale.

BEST USE OF THE GEMSTONE:
Tashmarine is not a strong gemstone and as such, earrings, pendants, pins, and tie tacks are probably the safest choice for this stone. Rings should be limited to occasional wear and the stones should be set with a protective setting.

CARE & CLEANING:
It is best to never expose colored gemstones to cleaning solvents or chemicals of any kind. Tashmarine needs special care to avoid scratching, it’s advisable to wrap it before storage in a soft cloth to prevent the stones from rubbing against each other.
Common cleaning methods include:
Ultrasonic: never
Steamer: never
Warm soapy water: safe
Reaction to Chemicals: can be damaged by acids.
Reaction to Heat: very heat sensitive
Stability to Light: stable

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THIS GEMSTONE:
Tashmarine actually represents a small group of lesser known gems including the 4-ray Star Diopside, the striking Cat’s-eye Diopside, with one strong ray resembling a cat’s eye and the better known, vivid green Chrome Diopside. Discovered in 2001 in the high mountains of Xinjiang Province in China while mining for Mica, Tashmarine has made quite a name for itself. Lighter and brighter than other Diopsides, Tashmarine keeps its foliage-green color without veering to the murky green of the chrome-colored Russian Diopside. The name Tashmarine is said to come from the word “Tashkent”, which means stone fortress in the local Tajik language, and “marine”, which refers to its ocean-like color, however, Tash, a diminutive for Natasha, is also the name of the daughter of Mr. Braunwart, the person responsible for bringing this gem to market…

DESIGNATION:
A lesser-known gemstone, Tashmarine currently has no traditions associated with it.

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