#C286 - Size 30 Slate and Shell Go Stones (Japanese) and Go Bowls (Cherry) Set - Suwabute - Sakura

This lovely set includes refurbished Go Stones and Go Bowls.   The stones are size 30 Slate & Shell (8mm).  The 180 clamshells are Suwabute stones, Japanese clams that are no longer harvested due to depletion. Japanese clams are not graded like Mexican clams, as they grow slower at a higher latitude and so have a higher density of lines. My lightbox struggled to illuminate some of them because of their density. The clamshell stones were been cleaned per our Care Instructions, including a week-long soak in h2o2 and a rinse with distilled water, then a buffing with iso-paraffin wax. The flashlight on your phone will shine through Japanese clams to reveal an orange color, while a Mexican clam will look yellow - in this regard, they are similar to egg yolks of different qualities. On the other hand, Mexican clamshell has a pure white exterior, while these vintage Japanese clamshells have developed a cream-color patina. Suwabute shells may have other unique colorations and imperfections