Koshu Suisho Kiseki Zaiku: A Thousand Years of Crystal Artistry

The origins of Koshu crystal carving date back more than a thousand years, to the discovery of quartz near Mount Kinpu. Initially used to create ornaments, raw quartz was later transported to Kyoto by Shinto priests, where it was cut into gems by the mid-Edo period (1600–1868).

The craft as it is known today took shape in the late Edo era, when master artisans settled in the region and developed advanced polishing techniques. Using iron plates and an exceptionally hard stone known as Kongousha, they refined quartz into luminous works of enduring beauty.