The mask first appeared in Symphony of the Night, where it gives DEF +2 and an INT boost of +4. This is the same amount of defense that the other mask in the game, the Ballroom Mask, gives, although the latter doesn't give an INT boost.
It's called Jade Mask in Lament of Innocence, where it can be used to cause candles to be destroyed by simply walking into them, making the collection of hearts much easier. This is available at Rinaldo's shop for 999 gold after the player beats the game, saves, and loads the cleared save file.
The Stone Mask also appears in this game, where it gives STR +5, CON +5 and DEF +2, although it's also cursed and reduces LCK -5. It can be created by combining Jade with Sun Tears.
It can be immediately evolved to a Face Guard, which only gives +3 DEF and therefore has no use at that point of the game. However, the Stone Mask ultimately can evolve into a Masakado's Helm, which is a much improved version of the Stone Mask (STR +15, CON +10, DEF +10, LCK -10), or to a Pumpkin Mask, which can evolve to the Pumpkin Mace, needed to gain the PumpkinInnocent Devil.
It's advisable to wait until all the materials necessary to evolve the Stone Mask to the Masakado's Helm have been acquired before evolving it to anything else, since there'll likely be no reason to equip any of the intermediate items.
Only Jonathan can equip the Stone Mask in Portrait of Ruin. It gives him DEF +3 and LCK +1. It can be compared to the Ballroom Masque, which instead of increasing Luck increases INT by 1 (and also gives a DEF +4). In this game, it's the Skull Mask the one which is cursed, which increases DEF greatly by 13, but at the cost of -3 to INT, MND and LCK.
Furthermore, the Portrait of Ruin design of the mask resembles the mask used by Kars in Part two, with a depression in the forehead where the Red Stone of Aja is placed in Kars' bid to reach his Ultimate Form.
Funerary jade masks originate from diverse prehispanic cultures; mainly from those that were situated from Middle to South America. While most in-game descriptions state they were used by shamans in ancient rituals, real life masks were instead placed on the corpses of important people, such as kings, during their entombment.
_-_01.png "Stone Mask (animated series) - 01.png (799 KB)")
