Nishiki Ishi is a craft tradition in northern Japan, particularly Aomori Prefecture, that transforms local stones into jewelry, decorative hairpins, netsuke, and other objects. Craftsmen choose from a variety of richly colored stones from the area, such as jasper, chalcedony, agate, rhyolite, and even petrified wood, then carve and polish them to bring out their natural beauty. Stones from the Aomori area have been treasured since ancient times. In the Jomon Period (B.C.145-B.C.3c) they were used to make ornamental beads (magatama), and in the Muromachi Period (14-16c), they were prized as “Buddha stones” (shari-ishi) and exported to regions as far as present-day China and India. In the Edo Period (17-19c), Aomori stones were often referred to as “tsugaru-dama” (Tsugaru is an old name for the Aomori area). In 1996, Nishiki Ishi was designated as a traditional craft product of Aomori Prefecture.