A form of mosaic work wherein hard semi-precious stones are inlaid onto stone to form images. The decorative technique flourished during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in Florence, Italy. A variation of the technique, known as parchin kari (mosaic work), was adapted by artisans in the sixteenth century, seen most prominently in the Taj Mahal, Agra. From the Italian pietre dure, meaning “hard stone.”