Gamescience Gem Ice
Gamescience Gem translucent dice in the color Ice.
Product codes (incomplete list): Chessex Precision-Edge Ice (Light Blue): CHX 23096
The first Gamescience Gem translucent dice were produced in 1979, with Diamond and Ice being the first two colors sold. These were 4-piece sets containing a d20, d12, d8, and d4. The numerical d6 was added in 1980. The d10 was designed in 1980, and subsequently phased into new sets. The "Deckaider" percentile die was introduced in 1990. In 2001, Chessex began selling a limited run of rebranded Gamescience Gem dice, including Ice.
With this timeline in mind, it may be possible to date a set of Gamescience Ice dice based on the number of dice in the set, with some added help if it's a Chessex-branded set.
The set pictured above is a Chessex-branded set of Precision-Edge Ice (Light Blue), so it was likely produced in or near 2001.
The set pictured below is a vintage set from the 1980s. It contains a d6 and d10, but lacks a percentile die. I purchased these dice in a lot with 4 other sets of the same age; all 6-piece sets with aged ink.
In the 2010s, Ice was transitioned to Blue Moonstone. But it wasn't just a name change; Blue Moonstone is darker and more saturated than Ice. They are not the same color!
Pictured below is a matching set of Blue Moonstone. It is noticeably darker than the Ice sets above.
Pictured below, side by side, is Ice (left) and Blue Moonstone (right).
I have seen photos of packaged Ice and Blue Moonstone side by side, so I believe they did co-exist as separate products at some point. However, Ice was discontinued, while Blue Moonstone lived on.
It's extremely common to find Ice and Blue Moonstone mixed together in the same set, most likely consolidated during the transition period. Some sellers even sold them as "Ice Blue Moonstone".
This actually gives us another clue for dating a set of Ice dice. If there are Blue Moonstone pieces mixed in, or if the set is labeled "Ice Blue Moonstone" or something similar, then the Ice pieces in the set were likely produced in the early 2010s, right before the transition to Blue Moonstone. Obviously this is just a ballpark estimate.
Unfortunately, there isn't a reliable source of Gamescience product numbers from before the 2010s, so I've had trouble finding product numbers for Ice, as distinct from Blue Moonstone. I asked the current proprietor of gamescience.com if they have a catalog or product list, but they don't. Lou Zocchi fulfilled orders by hand and wrote everything on paper.
I hope to find more information in the Internet Archives, but until then, the only way I can verify an accurate product number is to find an original package with a product number on it, labeled "Ice", and not containing any Blue Moonstone pieces. I haven't seen one yet. My packaged set doesn't have a product number on it, and the photos I mentioned above didn't show product numbers either. I will keep searching!
Photos © 2026 by Andrea Callison
