Petergof Lapidary Works

the oldest Russian state-run factory specializing in the dressing of colored stones. The Petergof Lapidary Works was founded in 1725 and was originally intended to be a glass-polishing factory. The building was constructed in 1777 by the architect Iu. M. Fel’ten. In the 1730’s the cutting of the famous Orsk jasper from the Southern Urals was begun at the factory. Later operations included the cutting of marble from Karelia and jasper, quartz, and porphyry from the Altai. Colored stones from abroad were also cut. In the 19th century the Petergof Lapidary Works was famous for its products made from Urals malachite, Siberian nephrite, and colored stone mosaics. Examples of such products are preserved at the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad. Beginning in 1914 the factory produced mainly industrial items, and in 1931 it was converted into a plant for the production of industrial stones for precision instruments.