Pietra dura (Italian: [ˈpjɛːtra ˈduːra]) or pietre dure [ˈpjɛːtre ˈduːre] (see below), called parchin kari or parchinkari (Persian: پرچین کاری‎) in the Indian Subcontinent, is a term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to create images.