A bright, transparent stone, clear as a pearl: "moonstone" is the curious name given to scagliola, a type of plaster that occurs naturally as flakes, with the scientific name of selenite.

Scagliola, however, is also the art of creating coloured inlays using a special blend of pigments, natural glues and selenite powder. It has become an art in its own right which, through the centuries, has witnessed small craftsmen's workshops create beautiful works of art and significant masterpieces that are part of our cultural heritage, both in Italy and in Europe.

Some of the greatest works executed using this technique can be seen in the most important museums of Florence such as the Uffizi and Palazzo Pitti and elsewhere, as well as in Tuscan churches.

In the historical and prestigious via Maggio, a street known all over the world for its antique dealers, the "Pietra di Luna" shop has a collection of one-off pieces in marble and scagliola or pure scagliola on show that will find their way to the most beautiful houses all over the world as important pieces of the furnishing.

The shop's workshop restores antique pieces and produces one-off articles on order.