In the 16th century Italian craftsman developed a technique for using stone in a marquetry context, called pietra dure. The furniture that was made provides an interesting contrast with the all-wood intarsia that was being produced at the same time. The bold colors of the stone have a "punch" that can be quite stunning. I never attempted pietra dure, even though it is clearly related to marquetry, because I the stone is so much harder than the wood that it can be very challenging to work with. A few years ago I became aware of a reconstituted stone product that seemed like it might be usable in my marquetry context. The stone is ground into dust and then glued together in blocks. The manufacturer is even able to put "grain" in the stone. Because the stone has been broken apart a jewelers saw is capable of cutting the shapes and it can be leveled with sandpaper.
My first piece using the reconstituted stone was Is Anyone Paying Attention?
