Kishu Topaz (Wakayama Prefecture) [Famous Stones of Japan]

KISHU Yellowstone

Kishu topaz

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 topaz is one of them.
The stones in the Kinokawa River contain a lot of iron, which turns reddish as it oxidizes, but the yellow color is a result of this process.
The Kinokawa and Yoshinogawa rivers are under such high-temperature and high-pressure conditions that they are ideal for producing red stone and topaz, which have high Mohs hardness, and similar stones are also produced in neighboring Nara Prefecture.
They come in a variety of colors, including green, white, and yellow.
The reason for this is that it is originally a stone based on chlorite and epidote, and contains iron oxide, which causes it to take on different colors depending on the speed of oxidation and the amount of time it has been left.
The white color is due to the high content of silicon (quartz) created by hydrothermal action.
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 yellow stone is similar to it. The stone of Kinokawa River contains a lot of iron and when it oxidizes, it becomes reddish. The yellow color is the intermediate stage. The Kinokawa River and Yoshino River have an environment where red stones and yellow stones with high Mohs hardness are produced under such high temperature and high-pressure conditions. Similar stones are also produced in the neighboring Nara prefecture. The colors are diverse, and you can see various colors such as green, white, and yellow. The reason for this is that it is originally a stone based on chlorite and epidote and contains iron oxide, which gives it different colors depending on the speed of oxidation and age. White color stone contains a lot of silicon (quartz) created by hydrothermal action. It has been reclaimed due to the construction of the Kino River bank, and currently only products produced in the past are in circulation.