pietra dura

noun

A decorative art, the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to create images.

“A Florentine mosaic is a familiar instance of work in pietra dura, though the ground may be soft marble.”

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Meanings

nounpietra dura (uncountable)
  1. uncountableartA decorative art, the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to create images.

    A Florentine mosaic is a familiar instance of work in pietra dura, though the ground may be soft marble.

Origin

Italian, literally "hard stone".

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pietra dura. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pietra%20dura

MLA

“pietra dura.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pietra%20dura. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pietra dura,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pietra%20dura.

Source: pietra dura on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.