Stone mosaic tiled surfaces add elegance to a room, with a touch of art not found with most tile installations. Using variously shaped and colored stones, you can create a mosaic depicting anything you can imagine. To create the stones for the mosaic, however, you will have to cut them to fit your needs. There are several methods for cutting stone mosaic tiles, depending on the sizes and shapes of the pieces desired. By combining the cutting methods, you can get exactly the stone tiles you need in order to design the look you want.

1
Cut larger stone tiles into easily handled pieces using a wet saw. A wet saw is used primarily for cutting the straight lines needed for partial tiles, but can bring your larger tiles down to a size more suitable for modifying into mosaic tiles. To cut with a wet saw, start the water running over the blade and wet the tile. Move the tile through the blade, cutting it along a line. The wet saw will leave a slightly rough edge that you can trim smooth using 80-grit sandpaper. You can rent a wet saw from either a home improvement store or an equipment rental shop.

2
Further reduce the size of the tile using a hammer and hardie. The hardie is an anvil shaped like a chisel. To cut the tile, place the hardie along the line to be cut and hit it with a hammer.

3
Make rough-cut shapes by hitting the stone directly with a hammer. Strike the stone tiles sharply with the hammer head to break it into multiple pieces.

4
Cut precise tile shapes by using a tile nipper. The tile nipper can be used for making curved cuts in stone tile or for making smaller cuts to shape the tile in whatever way you want. Use the nipper as you would a pair of scissors, applying force to the handles to cut through the stone. Remove small pieces at a time. The denser the stone, the more force you'll need to make the cut.