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  • Paesina

Paesina

Rock

By Tim Matthews, JD, FGA, GG, DGA,
CEO and President of JTV
Published: June 2014
Modified: October 2021
Paesina Rough
Table of Contents
  • General Information
  • Paesina Colors
  • Alternate Names
  • Countries of Origin
  • History
  • Care

Literally translating as “landscape stone,” paesina pietra is an ancient marvel of nature. Created 40-50 million years ago, picturesque scenes that often mimic those seen in everyday life were formed within limestone rock. Seen in a variety of colors and an infinite number of designs, these sedimentary stones were created as the earth shifted, forming fractures in the limestone. Composed primarily of compressed limestone and clay that formed in seabeds, it was the infiltration of iron and manganese hydroxide that created their variety of scenic patterns and array of colors. Paesina pietra has been collected as an objet d 'art since the 17th century throughout Europe. Highly regarded as a decorative accent, the stones were displayed prominently in European royal courts, including those of France, Germany, and England.

General Information

  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical Properties
  • Chemistry & Crystallography
Common Name
Paesina
Species
Rock
Transparency
Opaque
Optic Character
NA
Optic Sign
NA
Pleochroism
None
Luster
Dull
Crystal System
NA
Chemistry Classification
Rock

Paesina Colors

  • Black Paesina
    Black
  • Multi-color Paesina
    Multi-color
  • Gray Paesina
    Gray
  • Brown Paesina
    Brown
  • Blue Paesina
    Blue
  • Green Paesina
    Green

Alternate Names

Paesina Pietra , Landscape Stone

Countries of Origin

Unknown; Italy

History

In the 16th century, the famed Medici family of Florence purchased a quarry that produced a beautiful black variety of this stone. They had slabs of the stone set into furniture and decorative objects. Flemish artists of the period especially liked using the paesina pietra as their canvas for their paintings of people and animals. In the 1900’s, paesina pietra became highly collectible and early furniture designs with these picturesque inlays are still very collectible today.

Care

Limestone is soluble in hydrochloric acid.

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