• House-shaped stones (Yagata-ishi) Various types of rustic houses.
  • Thatched-hut stones (Kuzuya-ishi) Important category, overhanging rounded or triangular roof and an eroded, more valued if stone appears to have pillars holding up roof.
  • Pueblo stones. Resemble adobe house of Indians in Arizona and New Mexico.
  • Cliff dwelling stones. Suggest houses carved out of cliffs such as exist in the American southwest.
• Boat-shaped stones (Funagata-ishi) Resemble different types of boats, including wooden sailing ships, rowboats, and houseboats.
  
• Bridge-shaped stones (Hashi-ishi) Resemble a stone or wood bridge.
  
• Animal-shaped stones (Dobutsu-seki) Any stone resembling an animal.
  
• Bird-shaped stones (Torigata-ishi) Real and mythical birds.
  
• Insect-shaped stones (Mushigata-ishi) Especially butterflies, dragonflies, crickets, grasshoppers.
  
• Fish-shaped stones (Uogata-ishi) Especially koi and goldfish.
  
• Human-shaped stones (Sugata-ishi/Jimbutsu-seki) Especially fishermen, farmers, maidens, Buddha, and Buddhist monks; also stones suggesting parts of the human body.
  
• Three objects stones (Sankeishi-seki) These stones suggest three different objects when viewed from different angles.

Colors can enhance the beauty and classification of stones - by their deep, subdued, and excellent color. Appreciated for aesthetics, color and suggestion made by color (ex: dawn, dusk, night, spring, sunsets)

• Black stones (Kuro-ishi)
• Jet-black stones (Maguro-ishi)
• Red stones (Aka-ishi)
• Blue stones (Ao-ishi)
• Purple stones (Murasaki-ishi)
• Golden-yellow stones (Ogon-seki)
• Yellow-red stones (Kinko-seki)
• Five-color stones (Goshiki-ishi/Goshiki-seki) Traditionally these stones are a mixture of red, yellow, and green together with either gray, blue, purple, white or black.

Plant-pattern stones (Kigata-ishi)----------------------------------------------------------------------

• Forest-pattern stones (Mori-ishi)
• Bonsai-pattern stones (Bonsai-ishi) Resembles a bonsai tree and pot.
• Flower-pattern stones (Hanagata-ishi) Especially prized throughout the world are:
  • Chrysanthemum-pattern stones (Kikumon-seki/Kikka-seki/Kiku-ishi) Patterns suggest radial design of chrysanthemum flower, a traditional Oriental symbol of immortality.
  • Japanese plum-blossom-pattern stones (Baika-seki)
  • Wild rose-pattern stones (Nobara-ishi)
• Fruit-pattern stones (Migata-ishi)
• Leaf-pattern stones (Hagata-ishi) Suggest different types of tree or flower foliage.
• Grass-pattern stones (Kusagata-ishi) Suggest different types of grasses, including bamboo and pampas grass.

• Moon-pattern stones (Tsukigata-ishi) Iinclusions or embedded minerals which resemble the moon.
• Sun-pattern stones (Higata-ishi) Markings or embedded minerals suggesting sun - setting, rising, or full.
• Star-pattern stones (Hoshigata-ishi)

• Rain-pattern stones (Amagata-ishi) Inclusions or patterns suggesting driving rain, usually coming down at an angle.
• Snow-pattern stones (Yukigata-ishi) Resemble patterns of snow falling.
• Lightning-pattern stones (Raiko-seki) Usually dark with white mineral deposits resembling lightning bolts.

• Tiger-stripe-pattern stones (Tori-ishi) Alternating strips of color, suggesting the stripes of a tiger.
• Tangled-net-pattern stones (Itomaki-ishi/Itogaki-ishi) Crisscrossing lines often suggest a tangled fishing net.
• Pit-mark-pattern stones (Sudachi) Pockmarked with pits resembling needle formations or grinding by small particles.
• Snake-pattern stones (Jagure) Curving and winding patterns suggesting movements of a snake.
• Embedded stones (Moniri-ishi) Abstract pleasing patterns, embedded.

• Cracked Mud Flat-pattern stones Resemble floors of dried mud flats where interesting patterns are created by drying clay.
• Windows-pattern stones
• Indian blanket-pattern stones Suggest bright patterns on American Indian blankets.
• Petroglyph-pattern stones Suggest prehistoric drawings and carvings.

Japan Locations

• Kamogawa river stones Jet black Distant mountain or Slope stones found in the Kamogawa river in Kyoto prefecture.
• Kurama stones Brown granite Island, Distant mountain, or Object stones found around the Kamogawa river, Kyoto prefecture. Also gray or brown limestone Tangled-net pattern stones.
• Kibune stones Dark gray or reddish-purple Mountain, Waterfall, or Mountain-stream stones found around the Kamgawa river.
• Setagawa river stones Black Mountain, Slope or Tiger-stripe pattern stones from around the Setagawa river in Shiga and Kyoto prefectures.
• Nachiguro stones Jet-black Mountain or Plateau stones from the mountains of Mie prefecture.
• Kamuikotan stones Black or blue-green Mountain, Slope, or Plateau stones from the rivers and streams of Hokkaido prefecture.
• Sado red stones Red Mountain or Island stones from the mountains of Niigata prefecture.
• Ibigawa river stones Black, bluish-black, or gray Coastal, Island, Waterpool, Shelter, or Waterfall stones from the rivers and streams of Gifu prefecture.
• Sajigawa river stones Black, bluish-black, or gray Coastal, Island, Waterpool, Shelter, or Waterfall stones from the rivers and streams of Tottori prefecture.
• Furuya stones Black or gray-black Mountain, Waterfall, Mountain-stream, or Coastal stones from the mountains of Wakayama prefecture.
• Seigaku stones Black or gray-black Mountain, Waterfall, Mountain-stream, or Coastal stones from the mountains of Shizuoka prefecture.
• Neodani stones Several stone types including Chrysanthemum-pattern stones of Gifu prefecture.

• Mojave Desert stones California
• Murphys stones Murphys California
• Eel River stones Northern California

• Ligurian stones, Ligurian Alps, Italy Hard limestone. Similar geological composition to Furuya-ishi. In Italian such stones are referred to as 'Palombini' because of their blue-gray color similar to a pigeon (palombo)