It was published by Kodansha in Monthly Afternoon magazine from October 2012 to April 2024, with its chapters collected in thirteen tankōbon volumes.

Land of the Lustrous is set in a far, distant future where the Earth had been struck six times by meteorites, ravaging it in the process.

Over vast periods, a new race of sentient lifeforms emerged: immortal humanoids embodied by gemstones known as the Lustrous.

Phosphophyllite (Phos) is weak (with one of the lowest hardnesses) and considered useless by their peers since they are too brittle to fight.

Phos asks their aloof but wise colleague Cinnabar for help after they receive an assignment to create a natural history encyclopedia, thus beginning their friendship and personal growth.

Meanwhile, The twenty-eight Lustrous led by their master, Kongo, are fighting to defend themselves against a celestial humanoid race called the Lunarians (Moon people), who inhabit the Moon and invade Earth every few days to take advantage of their luxury value while seeking to harvest the Lustrous' bodies for decorations.

Toshiya Ono wrote series scripts and Yōichi Nishikawa created the concept art.