Select Italy Blog Pietre Dure, Where to See & Buy “Eternal paintings” in Florence

Pietre dure, or polychrome hardstone inlay, is a very special artistic phenomenon that is inextricably linked to the city of Florence. This technique uses highly polished colored stones that are cut and fitted to create images, and then assembled together so precisely that the contact between each section is practically invisible -- it’s almost like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. A very expensive jigsaw puzzle, to be sure, since semi-precious stones like coral, garnet, jasper, lapis lazuli and amethyst are arranged in compositions to look like paintings; the natural grain of the stones and marble is exploited to create amazingly naturalistic effects. The post Pietre Dure, Where to See & Buy “Eternal paintings” in Florence appeared first on It's All About Italy.