Hardstone carving is a general term in
art history and
archaeology for the artistic carving of predominantly semi-precious stones (but also of
gemstones), such as
jade, rock crystal (clear
quartz),
agate,
onyx,
jasper,
serpentine, or
carnelian, and for an object made in this way. Normally the objects are small, and the category overlaps with both
jewellery and
sculpture. Hardstone carving is sometimes referred to by the Italian term
pietre dure; however,
pietre dura (with an "a") is the common term used for
stone inlay work, which causes some confusion.