Agra Inlay (Pietra Dura / Parchin-kari)

What it is / where it’s from
Fine inlay of semi-precious stones (lapis, malachite, carnelian, mother-of-pearl, etc.) into white (often Makrana) marble—centred in and around Taj Ganj, Agra. The technique is Mughal-era and still used in the Taj Mahal’s floral/geometric panels.

Region-specific protection & recognition
• “Agra Stone Inlay Craft” is now a registered Geographical Indication (GI) (Application 661; Certificate dated 27-03-2025).
• UNESCO and partners have supported Agra’s artisans through design/market access initiatives.
• The craft is listed under UP’s ODOP (One District One Product) program for Agra.

HS codes (typical)
6802 (worked monumental/building stone & articles) is the usual umbrella for marble tabletops, panels, boxes with inlay. Indian customs notes 6802 covers natural stone similarly worked (incl. steatite); GST schedules also cite 6802 for worked marble articles.

Export snapshot (context)
Handicrafts exports (excl. handmade carpets) were ~US$3.8 bn in FY24; stone handicrafts are a niche within this basket.

Quality & testing pointers (what buyers usually specify)
• Base stone: dense, fine-grain white marble (often Makrana) for tight inlay joints and polish retention.
• Workmanship: joint gaps between inlay pieces should be visually negligible; pattern symmetry and edge chamfers checked against master drawings (heritage method).
• Finish: polished surfaces can be verified with gloss measurements (60° glossmeter as per ASTM D523 method—method reference).
• Dimensional flatness/squareness (for table tops/panels) may be referenced to EN 1469 tolerances for natural-stone slabs used as cladding (useful benchmarking of flatness/edge tolerances even for furniture panels)

Why India/Agra
• Direct stylistic lineage to the Taj Mahal’s inlay vocabulary and multi-generation ustad–shagird (master–apprentice) lineages clustered around Agra.

Makrana Marble (Rajasthan)

What it is / where it’s from
Makrana (Nagaur district) is India’s historically most celebrated white, calcitic marble—source for many Mughal/colonial monuments, including the Taj. It is a registered GI (“Makrana Marble”).

Global recognition
Makrana Marble is classified by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) as a “Global Heritage Stone Resource” for its cultural use and distinctive material attributes.

Material strengths (why buyers like it)
• Very fine grain and high calcite purity (noted by India’s Bureau/Yearbook sources), yielding high gloss, crisp arrises, and low porosity relative to many decorative marbles.
• Dimensional-stone tests buyers often call out (method references):
– Water absorption & specific gravity (ASTM C97)
– Compressive strength (ASTM C170)
– Abrasion resistance (ASTM C241)
– Product spec for marble dimension stone (ASTM C503)

HS codes (typical) & export context
• Blocks/slabs/articles fall under Ch. 25 (rough) and 68 (worked). Worked marble articles are under 6802 (e.g., 6802.21 for marble/travertine/alabaster, simply cut/sawn) in customs/Combined Nomenclature. (Use exact ITC-HS at 8-digit when filing.)
• CAPEXIL reports “Marble & Products” exports of US$27.6 mn in 2022-23 and US$18.94 mn during Apr–Oct 2023-24 (category definition narrower than total “worked stone”).

Why India/Makrana
• Unbroken quarrying tradition; material’s whiteness and polish reputation create a premium for sculpture, tabletops, luxury interiors. (GI confirms provenance scope in Nagaur/nearby districts.)

QC notes buyers use
• Block/Slab selection: avoid open fissures, excessive resin fills; request quarry lot photos and dry-lay inspections.
• Test certificates referencing ASTM/EN where required by project spec (see methods above).

Soapstone (Steatite) Carvings (Odisha & Karnataka focus)

What it is / where it’s from
“Soapstone” (talc-rich steatite, very carvable) underlies multiple Indian traditions:
• Odisha stone carving clusters (Puri, Konark, Bhubaneswar, Khiching, etc.) produce ritual figurines and décor; state craft directorates document these clusters.
• Karnataka (Hoysala region)—UNESCO-listed “Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas” were built in chloritic schist (soapstone), enabling exceptionally intricate carving; the same stone tradition feeds contemporary sculptural craft in the region.

HS codes (typical)
• Articles carved from soft stone (steatite/soapstone) often file under 6815 (“Articles of stone or of other mineral substances, n.e.s.”). For raw steatite, 2526 applies. (Confirm exact 8-digit ITC-HS against form and finish.)

Export context
• These sit within broader “stone articles” exports rather than a single headline line item; they’re commonly shipped as small décor under 6815/6802 depending on finish. (Use WITS/Trade Map or customs broker extracts for lane-specific values.)

Quality & safety (what overseas buyers ask for)
• Stone integrity: chip resistance around fine undercuts; even hand-polish; base planarity for bookends/lamps.
• Finish durability: for utility objects, request abrasion/impact checks appropriate to use (method analogs from natural-stone/ceramic décor).
• Asbestos-free assurance: some talc/steatite geological contexts can be contaminated—EU REACH Annex XVII prohibits asbestos-containing articles; the US EPA finalized a chrysotile asbestos ban (2024) under TSCA. Many buyers now request third-party certificates declaring “no asbestos detected” in stone dust/samples.

Why India/these regions
• Odisha’s living craft clusters and training institutions (SIDAC) keep soft-stone carving widely available in consistent styles/forms.
• Karnataka’s soapstone heritage (Hoysala) is globally recognized—useful provenance storytelling for premium sculptural/décor SKUs.

Practical buying/QA checklist (applies across all three)

• Confirm HS/ITC-HS at 8-digit with your broker: 6802 for worked marble articles (incl. inlay), 6815 for many carved stone articles, 2526 for raw steatite—DGCI&S note clarifies 6802 covers “other natural stones… including steatite” when similarly worked.
  
• Method references to include in POs/specs (as relevant to product): ASTM C97 (absorption/density), C170 (compressive strength), C241 (abrasion), C503 (marble spec). For panel flatness/squareness benchmarks, EN 1469 is a helpful tolerance reference.
  
• Finish & polish: document gloss verification procedure (60°), acceptance criteria agreed per sample—ASTM D523 is the common measurement method reference.
  
• Worker safety & sustainability: verify wet-cutting/dust control and silica safety practices (Natural Stone Institute resources).
  
• Compliance: for soapstone/talc supply chains, obtain asbestos-free declarations/testing given EU/US restrictions on asbestos-containing articles.