World of Maria Tash

The World of MARIA TASH 

Maria Tash is recognized around the globe as a pioneer in the piercing industry, transforming it into a luxury experience thanks to her expert craftsmanship, innovative fine jewelry designs, and individualized approach to styling.

About Maria

A native New Yorker, Maria was influenced by the bold music and fashion of the late ‘70s, ‘80s, and early ‘90s. She studied at Columbia University before moving abroad to attend King’s College in London. There she embraced the rebellion of the punk/goth scene with its asymmetrical looks, dramatic makeup, and unusual piercings. She carried this spirit back to New York where she honed her needle technique.


Maria viewed piercing as a form of beauty and wanted to couple it with delicate fine jewelry — a contrast to the thick, industrial styles that were popular at the time. Her penchant for interesting placements drew her to navel jewelry and soon she was designing custom pieces for all body locations at her first studio, which opened in Manhattan’s East Village in 1993.

The Brand

MARIA TASH has revolutionized the fine jewelry and luxury piercing industries. The brand is known for self-expression; the Curated Ear® is a technique Maria herself developed where clients combine studs and rings in unique stylings that reflect their personal aesthetics. The original East Village shop gained a devoted following in the early ‘90s, and MARIA TASH continues to expand globally across the US, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East.

Maria continues to push the boundaries of design by creating cutting-edge styles and pairing them with never-before-seen placements on the ear. An affinity for the technical side of jewelry-making sets Maria Tash apart as she seeks out new techniques and mechanisms to help her design to the highest level.

–MARIA TASH

Inspiration

A designer at heart, Maria finds inspiration in a wide range of sources: the ‘80s punk/goth scene, the great masters of Dutch and Flemish painting, and couture fashion houses to name a few. She is often drawn to architecture and light fixtures as starting points in her sketches; her hidden placements and diamond drape styles came from observing the way recessed lighting peeks out seamlessly from behind a stone surface. Technology and innovations like laser diamond drilling help bring these unexpected ideas to life.

Hidden Placements

In 2020, Maria patented two new piercings, the Tash Helix℠ and Tash Hidden Rook℠. Utilizing the ear’s anatomy, these placements conceal the entry point and wearable components of the jewelry to create the illusion of diamonds mysteriously emerging from the ear.

Invisible Settings

Diamonds are Maria’s favorite gem and she developed the most minimal setting possible to showcase their beauty and spectacular light return. In our invisible set pieces, precision setters carefully push specially designed prongs in to hold the stone securely in place so it appears to float on top of the skin.

Forward-Facing Piercing

Our world-class piercers base their work on each client’s specific anatomy, considering the location of the jewelry and the angle at which it will hang. Piercings are performed with a forward-facing technique that ensures your jewelry sits at the optimal angle when viewed straight on.