This rare word describes a type of decorative stone used in the lavish pavement of King Ahasuerus's palace garden. Esther 1 lists it alongside marble and other precious materials in describing the opulent setting for the king's great feast. The exact type of stone is uncertain—possibilities include porphyry, black marble, or another colored stone valued in Persian architecture. The Assyrian cognate 'siḫru' refers to a precious stone, suggesting this was imported or specially quarried material that signaled wealth and royal magnificence.