Inlay work in natural stones is a traditional art in which delicate semiprecious stones are inserted into the base stone to give a unique, magnificent design. Today, very few experts are skilled to perform this technique. As far as history is concerned, the introduction of the inlay work in India was majorly witnessed in architectural innovations of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. This art resembles the ‘Pietra Dura’ art of Italy which was carried out in the 16th century.
Inlay work in natural stones involves a process of hand cutting and shaping. To begin with, the design is planned such as floral or geometrical design and the same is cut out on a brass sheet. The cut brass sheet is placed on the base stone of any color, it is drawn and the design on the base is delicately carved out. Next, the coloured gemstones are shaped and polished and then slipped into the base stone grooves with an adhesive.
