it is not unusual to be designed from hundreds of different slices of stone. There are many varieties of coloured stone available for utilisation in marble inlay work: malachite cornelian jasper mother of pearl abalone shell lapis lazuli agnate coral turquoise and tiger eye to name just a few. The grooves are filled with their precisely corresponding shapes of coloured stone and secured in place with a white putty made from oil and wax. Once the design is completely dry the piece is polished with a mixture of sand water and emery paper to give a shiny smooth finish. More Details