Commesso

Commesso, also referred to as Florentine mosaic, is a method of piecing together cut sections of luminous, narrow gemstones to form works of art.^[1] Precise patterns are cut into a slab of (generally black) marble. Gems are then cautiously cut and meticulously inlaid into these patterns. The work is then polished section by section, as it cannot be polished as a whole due to gems having different hardnesses.^[2] The practice, which began in Florence, Italy, dates back to at least the 14th century and gained prominence just before the 17th century.^[1] Some of its uses include making pictures and decorating furniture and architecture.