Kishu Akaishi (Wakayama Prefecture) [Famous Japanese Stones]

KISHU Redstone

Kishu Akaishi

In ancient Japan, it was said that keeping red stones mined from the Kinokawa River close to you and wearing them would keep evil spirits away.
This custom is now fading away and disappearing.
Even overseas, red stone has been believed to store the power of the sun and to be a protective stone.
Kinokawa red stone is a type of stone that contains a lot of iron in silicon, which oxidizes and turns red.
The Kinokawa and Yoshinogawa rivers are under such high temperature and pressure conditions that they are ideal for producing red stone with a high Mohs hardness, and red stone is also produced in neighboring Nara Prefecture.
Even though it is called red stone, it is colorful and can have colors such as green and yellow.
The reason for this is that red stone is originally made of chlorite and epidote, which contain iron oxide, and the color changes depending on the speed and age of oxidation.
It has been reclaimed due to bank protection work on the Kinokawa River, and currently only what was mined in the past is in circulation.

In ancient Japan, it was said that by keeping red stones produced in Kinokawa close to you and wearing them, you could ward off evil spirits. This custom is now fading and disappearing. Even overseas, red stone has been believed to store the power of the sun and is a protective stone. Kishu red stone is a type of stone that contains a lot of iron in silicon, which oxidizes and turns red. Under these conditions of high temperature and high pressure in the Kino River and Yoshino River, since the environment is perfect for producing red stones with high Mohs hardness, red stone is also produced in neighboring Nara Prefecture. Even though it is red stone, it has a wide variety of colors and can take on colors such as green and yellow. The reason for this is because red stones contain iron oxide in chlorite and epidote, which gives different colors depending on the speed of oxidation and age. It has been reclaimed due to the construction of the Kino River bank, and currently only the products produced in the past are in circulation.