The Art Built by the Artist Earth: The Infinite Charm of Fine Minerals
From Friday, June 26, 2026 to Sunday, July 5, 2026, MIN GALLERY will host a special exhibition on the theme of "Formation," featuring five artists and two collectors.
What artists and collectors alike find beautiful is the overflowing power and unexpected expressions emanating from things formed by nature. Along with artists who continue to create using stones and metals as motifs, and photographers who pursue the expressions and nuances of earth, we are introducing Kazuto Kameda, a collector of fine minerals. Mr. Kameda explaining minerals at the gallery. A variety of minerals, large and small, in various colors, are neatly arranged on a large table and shelves along the walls. The mysterious world of minerals, charming like candies, yet captivating the more you look at them. "AP Fine Mineral Art Gallery," run by fine mineral collector Kazuto Kameda, was located deep in Kotto-dori, down a narrow street. If Mr. Kameda hadn't opened the silver door with the small sign and welcomed me in, I might have passed it by, thinking it was just a house. But stepping inside, I found myself holding my breath. The ivory-toned interior was lined with colorful minerals. They varied in size, and looking closely, their eloquent expressions were almost dazzling. Everything was mysterious, bizarre, and overwhelmingly beautiful. The shapes and colors were so striking that it was impossible not to be moved when told that these were all natural stones, created by the Earth without any human intervention. "I never knew there were so many types of stones..." I inadvertently mumbled, and Mr. Kameda smiled gently. Fluorite and quartz collected in Namibia. A novel design by Earth, with fluorite embedded in a quartz formation resembling a throne, making it hard to believe it's a natural product.
Mr. Kameda says that this place constantly opens people's eyes to the charm of minerals for the first time, and indeed, it's not hard to see why. The "stones" I had previously imagined were either pebbles found by a river or roadside, or gemstones used in jewelry. Mr. Kameda's collection fits neither description. The glittering, luminous minerals are not solitary; they emerge from rough rock formations or are joined with dull, metallic stones, possessing a uniqueness that exceeds imagination. "What are commonly called gemstones don't actually form in isolation. Minerals are formed when various components within the earth or rock crystallize, but they don't emerge from a state of nothingness. They often grow together with other minerals. For example, fluorite, known as 'fluorspar,' is often seen growing alongside other minerals like quartz, calcite, and pyrite during its formation process. In the world of minerals, such aggregations of crystals are regarded as 'scenery' and appreciated," says Mr. Kameda.Fluorite is just one example; many well-known stones like topaz, aquamarine, garnet, and beryl also exhibit symbiosis with other minerals. Their way of growing together, as if helping each other, is reminiscent of humans, and listening to Mr. Kameda, my preconceived notions about stones are rapidly crumbling. This is also fluorite. Kameda says that the fascinating thing about minerals is that even within the same mineral species, there are so many different colors and shapes. Although I finally understood that there is a distinct difference between jewelry lovers and mineral enthusiasts, mineral specimens, with their overwhelming presence, simply stand there, not meant to be worn. What was it that drew Mr. Kameda to this world? One of the things that got Kameda engrossed in mineral collecting was rhodochrosite, a rose-colored stone. Its transparency, shape, and color are all completely different, yet it's curious that they are all the same rhodochrosite. The stone on the right, resembling an old rose, is about the size of a fist.After attending university in Nagasaki, he joined a major securities company in Tokyo. He was later transferred to a branch in Hiroshima, then changed jobs in Hiroshima to work for a fund company. After the tumultuous period of the global economic downturn due to the Lehman shock, the fund unfortunately went out of business. After leaving his job, he started working as an insurance agent while advising clients, and by 2015, Mr. Kameda had founded a real estate business. He worked tirelessly, leaving no room for minerals. The minerals featured in this exhibition, "Formation." From top: Fluorite, Tourmaline & Quartz, Tourmaline & Quartz, Rubellite, Spinel. You can actually pick them up and look at them at the venue, so please come and see them."I often refer to minerals as 'art created by the Earth,' but I want to convey to many people that 'there is an amazing artist, and there are many works by that artist.' Of course, cut and polished gemstones are wonderful too. However, the fact that crystals exist in such unique shapes and colors, just as they were excavated from the earth, without human intervention, is nothing short of a miracle. I want to convey the charm of minerals as a new value, not spiritual or as ornaments for people, but as something else," says Mr. Kameda. The mineral collection, which he had gradually started assembling, steadily began to be recognized by enthusiasts through Mr. Kameda's discerning eye and selection criteria. Through social media, Mr. Kameda communicated its charm, leading to inquiries and requests for sales from both domestic and international sources. Eventually, he started participating in famous mineral shows held worldwide, and Mr. Kameda's mineral world entered its next phase. Even with mineral specimens of familiar names like peridot and amethyst, their forms are quite different from the usual jewelry. Mr. Kameda carefully selects the orientation that best showcases the crystal's shape and characteristics, then arranges them on acrylic stands for display.It all started in 2019 with the creation of an online shop. He would place minerals against a black background, calculate the most beautiful angle, take photos, and post them on the site. Through this repetitive process, he began to introduce his "Kameda Collection," selected through his own filter, to the world. "I select minerals that possess the top-tier characteristics of each mineral species: the condition of the stone, the color of the crystal, and its transparency. For metallic minerals, it's also their luster and the smooth shine of their crystal faces. I examine all these various characteristics and only select those I am confident are excellent, and then I consider whether the combination of coexisting minerals creates a beautiful 'scenery'," says Kameda. ➖ Kazuto Kameda
Kameda, a mineral collector, positions fine minerals, which were previously considered a hobby for a limited few, as "natural art created by the Earth," viewing them from a unique perspective. Furthermore, the act of systematizing and conveying these to the world could be rephrased as being a creator and translator who generates new values. In an effort to explore the charm of fine minerals that the world is beginning to notice, we visited a small specialty shop nestled in an alley off Kotto-dori in Aoyama, Tokyo.Minerals: Art Born After Tens of Thousands of Years of "Production Time"
"Even people who are familiar with jewels are often surprised when they see natural mineral specimens like these. For example, this Paraiba tourmaline has a vibrant neon blue color, doesn't it? But it's its natural state," says Mr. Kameda.
Fine Minerals: Unable to Exist on Their Own
Minerals: The Earth's Resume, Etched with Vast Amounts of Time
"Customers encountering minerals for the first time often ask me, 'What is this stone good for?' or 'Which stone is good for money or love luck?' I think it's due to the power stone boom, but unfortunately, I can't answer that. A mineral is just a mineral. Scientifically, there are no benefits like warding off evil spirits or improving luck. However, even without such powers, to me, they are overwhelmingly beautiful and healing. I don't even quite understand why I'm drawn to them anymore," says Mr. Kameda.
His formative experience was in his childhood in Miyazaki, where various stone specimens for science education were lined up along the path from the school gate to the schoolyard. He enjoyed smashing pieces of translucent obsidian together and avidly collected them. However, despite these memories, he says it was much later that stones truly became central to his life.A Red Rose Made of Stone: Captivated by Rhodochrosite
Yet, perhaps it was fate that he rediscovered the beauty of minerals. In his early 30s, he realized, "That's right, I loved minerals," and his affection for them was reignited.
"It might have also been that my work got on track and became stable. I had more time. Around that time, I started going to Tokyo more often for work, and I began visiting events like mineral shows. At first, I was just looking, but then I noticed the prices and realized, 'I can actually buy these,'" says Kameda.
Buying one led to wanting another. He wanted to encounter and search for even better ones. What started as a hobby of buying minerals gradually saw Mr. Kameda investing larger amounts of money. The stone that, for better or worse, drove this was rhodochrosite. Its Japanese name is "rhodochrosite," and it is a red mineral also known by the romantic name "Inca Rose."
"It's not hard enough to be cut and polished into a gemstone, meaning it's easily scratched. Diamond has a hardness of 10, and quartz is about 7, but rhodochrosite is 3.5. However, I don't particularly want to wear it. I prefer it in its natural state, because I think it's most beautiful that way," says Mr. Kameda. The red sparkle of rhodochrosite was displayed in a showcase, a special presence in the gallery.
Being in its natural state is its value and preciousness.
Every Stone, Small or Large, Holds the Individuality of Nature
"There are currently over 5,000 types of minerals on Earth. Including those yet to be discovered, that number is said to be even higher. In Japan, the value of mineral specimens isn't yet widely recognized, but it's quite popular overseas, and my mission might be to properly introduce the rules to the Japanese market. The rules for mineral specimens include at least the name of the stone, its origin, and where it was collected, but as an owner, I also want to have data such as who owned it previously. Since many specimens contain a mixture of several types of minerals, it would also be good to describe their individual characteristics," says Kameda.
"By the way," I ventured to ask, "what is the advantage of the Kameda Collection?" He answered immediately without hesitation.
Before long, Mr. Kameda earned immense trust from both media and prominent business leaders as a mineral expert. For this exhibition, he will be showcasing mineral specimens such as fluorite, tourmaline, and aquamarine, all of which are, quite literally, one-of-a-kind.
Mr. Kameda, with a slightly melancholic expression, says, "While I'm happy for my stones to go to people who love them, on the other hand, once I sell them, they're no longer in my possession." Please come and experience the mysterious and profound charm of minerals for yourself.
Formation
— Process and Form —
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Born in Miyazaki Prefecture in 1981, Kazuto Kameda spent his childhood in Miyazaki before attending university in Nagasaki Prefecture. He moved to Tokyo upon joining a securities company but was later transferred to Hiroshima. While in Hiroshima, he gained experience working for a fund company, an insurance agency, and a real estate business. He began to seriously pursue his hobby of mineral collecting, opening the online shop "PEANUTS MINERALS" in 2019. He now also operates "AP Fine Mineral Art Gallery" on Kotto-dori in Tokyo.
text by Mayuko Yamaguchi
photo by Yumiko Miyahama