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Pietra Dura Paperweight

Signed Italian Silver Mounted Pietra Dura Paperweight with Flower by G. Fiaschi
By Richard Blow, Giuseppe Fiaschi
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine signed Italian pietra dura paperweight. By Giuseppe Fiaschi. With handcut marble
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Paperweights

Materials

Marble, Silver

Italian Pietra Dura Butterfly Paperweight Specimen Plaque
Located in Rochester, NY
Antique pietra dura paperweight. Butterflies. Marble inlaid with lapis lazuli, malachite, and other
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Paperweights

Materials

Lapis Lazuli, Marble, Carrara Marble

Italian Pietra Dura Inlaid Marble Butterfly Paperweight
Located in Stamford, CT
Italian oval white marble paperweight with beautiful colored burnt orange and greenish gray marble
Category

Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Paperweights

Materials

Marble

Antique Grand Tour Pietra Dura Specimen Paperweight 19th C
Located in London, GB
This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted desk paperweight
Category

Antique 1880s Italian Paperweights

Materials

Agate, Amethyst, Malachite, Onyx, Marble

Antique Florentine Grand Tour Pietra Dura Blossoming Rose Flower Paperweight
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
through Italy, and dating to approximately 1880 and done in an Arts and Crafts style. This pietra dura
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Paperweights

Materials

Stone, Marble

Antique Grand Tour Pietra Dura Specimen Top Paperweight, 19th C
Located in London, GB
This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted desk paperweight
Category

Antique 1880s Italian Paperweights

Materials

Agate, Amethyst, Malachite, Onyx, Marble

Recent Sales

Pietra Dura Butterfly Paperweight
Located in Stamford, CT
Italian book-form marble paperweight with beautiful Pietra Dura inlaid butterflies. The red and
Category

Antique 19th Century Italian Neoclassical Paperweights

Materials

Marble

Pietra Dura Butterfly Paperweight
Pietra Dura Butterfly Paperweight
H 5 in W 3.25 in D 0.5 in
Pietra Dura Butterfly Paperweight
Located in Stamford, CT
Exquisite Italian Pietra Dura marble plaque or paperweight with five butterflies in precious stone
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Neoclassical Paperweights

Pietra Dura Butterfly Paperweight
Pietra Dura Butterfly Paperweight
H 3.25 in W 4.5 in D 0.5 in
Antique Grand Tour Pietra Dura Specimen Top Paperweight, 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted desk paperweight
Category

Antique 1880s Italian Paperweights

Materials

Agate, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Onyx, Marble, Porphyry

Antique Grand Tour Pietra Dura Specimen Top Paperweight 19th C
Located in London, GB
This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted desk paperweight
Category

Antique 1880s Italian Paperweights

Materials

Agate, Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Onyx, Marble

Antique Grand Tour Pietra Dura Specimen Top Paperweight, 19th Century
Located in London, GB
A superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour 19th century marble Pietra Dura specimen top
Category

Antique 1850s Italian Paperweights

Materials

Agate, Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Marble

Antique Grand Tour Pietra Dura Specimen Octagonal Table Top Stand, 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted octagonal table
Category

Antique 1880s Italian Paperweights

Materials

Agate, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Onyx, Granite, Marble, Porphyry

A Russian 19th Century pietra dura plaque / paperweight.
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A good quality 19th Century Russian pietra dure plaque / paper weight with a hand carved fruiting
Category

Antique 19th Century Italian Inkwells

Materials

Marble

19th Century Pietra Dura Grand Tour Hardstone Specimen Desk Paperweight
Located in Lowestoft, GB
A late Victorian hardstone or pietra dura specimen desk paperweight. 18 oval hardstone specimens
Category

Antique Late 19th Century European Scientific Instruments

Materials

Marble

Antique Malachite and Marble Pietra Dura Paperweight, 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a beautiful antique Italian black marble rectangular Pietra Dura paperweight, with
Category

Antique 1850s Italian Paperweights

Materials

Marble

Italian Pietra Dura Butterfly Paperweight with Malachite
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century Italian paperweight, the polished black slate inset with a Pietra Dura butterfly of
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Paperweights

Materials

Malachite

Antique Grand Tour Pietra Dura Specimen Top Paperweight 19th C
Located in London, GB
This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted desk paperweight
Category

Antique 1880s Italian Paperweights

Materials

Marble

Antique Grand Tour Pietra Dura Specimen Top Paperweight 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted desk paperweight
Category

Antique 1880s Italian Paperweights

Materials

Agate, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Onyx, Granite, Marble, Porphyry

Antique Grand Tour Pietra Dura Specimen Top Paperweight, 19th Century
Located in London, GB
A superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour 19th century marble Pietra Dura specimen top
Category

Antique 1850s Italian Paperweights

Materials

Agate, Malachite, Marble

Italian Grand Tour Specimen Marble Paperweight
Located in Stamford, CT
A very handsome "Grand Tour" mid-19th-century pietra dura mixed marble paperweight of plaque form
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Grand Tour Paperweights

Materials

Marble

English "Grand Tour" Derbyshire Specimen Marble Plaque Paperweights, circa 1850
Located in Kinderhook, NY
A collection of three exceptional "Grand Tour" mid-19th-century pietra dura mixed marble
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century English Grand Tour Paperweights

Materials

Marble

19th Century Italian Grand Tour Specimen Marble Collection
Located in Biarritz, FR
Charming collection of four 19th century Italian Grand Tour pietra dura specimen marble. Three
Category

Antique 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Marble

Pietra Dura Insect Stone Paperweight, Italian, 1930s
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Stone paperweight with marble Pietra Dura inlay, images of insects, Italy 1930s. Measures: Width 3
Category

Vintage 1930s Italian Art Deco Paperweights

Materials

Stone, Marble

5-Piece of Paperweights Pietra Dura and Micro Mosaic
Located in Lyngby, DK
5-piece of paperweights, 4 in pietra dura 1 in micro mosaic Italy, circa 1900. Micro mosaic with
Category

Antique 1890s Italian Other Paperweights

Materials

Stone

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Butterfly Bowl
Located in Paris, FR
Bowl butterfly with crystal glass bowl and with solid brass leaves. Measures: Bowl: Diameter 20cm x height 11.5cm. Bowl and dragonflies height: 29cm.
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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Decorative Bowls

Materials

Crystal, Brass

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Happy Elbow Wall Sconce, Hand Blown Clear Glass - Made to Order
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This series of wall sconces is classically inspired. Scaled versions of our pendants extend from elegant metal armatures. The proximity of the glass to the wall allows for each piece...
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Brutalist Terracotta Female Bust Sculpture
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Brutalist Terracotta Female Bust Sculpture unsigned, unknown artist "very nice patina and color" chip along the side of the base - see images head leans slightly to one side
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Pottery, Terracotta

Brutalist Terracotta Female Bust Sculpture
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Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors

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Large Wood Wave Mirror. Italy
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Japanese Antique Drawer / Tansu Peddler Chest of drawers / 1868-1912s Wabi-Sabi
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This is an old Japanese drawer. I think it is a called "Peddler's Tansu", which is used by merchants to carry goods far away. "Peddler" refers to carrying and retailing products wi...
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Japanese Antique Drawer / Tansu Peddler Chest of drawers / 1868-1912s Wabi-Sabi
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Materials

Sandstone

1970's Traventine Dining Table
By GamFratesi Design Studio
Located in Bern, CH
1970's Gamfratesi style Italian travertine dining table. Tabletop made from a solid piece of polished travertine with a separate travertine base. Due to the natural composition of tr...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables

Materials

Travertine

1970's Traventine Dining Table
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Milo Baughman Ivory Cream Semi-Circular Sectional Sofa for Thayer Coggin
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Butterflies, Contemporary Porcelain Vase with Decorative Design by Vito Nesta
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Antique Macey Arts & Crafts Mission Mahogany Stack Barrister Bookcase C1920
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Antique Macey Arts & Crafts Mission Mahogany Stack Barrister Bookcase C1920
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Finding the Right Paperweights for You

While any heavy object can be used to hold loose papers, there’s nothing as ornate yet perfectly functional as a paperweight. Antique, new and vintage paperweights can unobtrusively enhance the ambience of a room or act as a colorful conversation starter. On a desk or writing table, it can contribute a subtle sense of style.

Glass paperweights emerged in Europe in the mid-19th century. Early paperweight artisans like Venetian glassmaker Pietro Bigaglia often crafted them with a design on the inside. By the early 1900s, paperweight objects became even more popular through innovative iterations by artists like Louis Comfort Tiffany.

As the paperweight became both a luxury and utilitarian object, creators used a variety of materials to set their wares apart. Today, in addition to the classic glass versions, paperweights are made of metal, wood, ceramic and stone.

A vast selection of paperweights as well as a whole range of other desk accessories can be found on 1stDibs — browse by type, price, period, material or style, from Art Deco and Hollywood Regency to metal and glass. Reflecting their widespread appeal, paperweights are available in a diverse array from across the globe, including Italy, France and North America, as well as examples by leading designers and brands such as Fratelli Toso, William Guillon and René Lalique. Whether an office or a study needs a touch of something vintage or a mid-century modern twist, there are paperweights to suit every taste.

Questions About Pietra Dura Paperweight
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Pietra dura stone is a term for inlaying items with colored stones, such as agate, jade, jasper, topax, onyx and alabaster. In Italian, "pietra dura" literally translates to "hard stone." You'll find a selection of pietra dura decorative objects and jewelry on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertAugust 26, 2024
    The difference between mosaic and pietra dura comes down to how specific the terms are. A mosaic is a decorative surface or item produced out of small, hard pieces assembled together to create a pattern. Artisans can use tile, stone, glass, wood and other materials to make mosaics. Pietra dura is a specific type of mosaic composed of gemstones. You may sometimes see it referred to as Florentine mosaic. Find a selection of mosaic art on 1stDibs.