Subhash Emporium

Pachchikari, the pietra dura stone inlay that made the Taj, is still worked by hand in Agra, and this family house on Gwalior Road has been at it since 1973. In the attached workshop artisans cut lapis, malachite, carnelian and mother-of-pearl and set them into marble while you watch, and the demonstration costs nothing. Then come the tabletops, boxes, trays and coasters. Prices run above the street stalls, but the stone is genuine, which is exactly what the old rule about buying where you can watch the work is for. Shipping abroad is arranged.

Watch the Taj's inlay technique done by hand, then buy a piece with real stone in it