Luca Montori | apprentice at the workshop for stone inlay | Dante | Luca's oldest brother, stone cutter | Marcello | Luca's second oldest brother, stone cutter | Giano | Luca's brother, medical student at Pisa | Niccolo | their father, master of the stone cutters | Clarissa | their mother | Alessandro di Gondi-Lucertola | last offspring of the Florentine noble family | Matteo | Alessandro's late father | Valentina | Alessandro's mother | Arrigo | Alessandro's uncle | Emilio | Alessandro's uncle, mayor of Florence | Anastasia | housekeeper | Francesco | housekeeper and gardener |
Coppo Travisero | Professor at the workshop Opificio delle Pietre Dure | Raniero Riefoli | apprentice at the workshop | Padre Castruccio | Prior of the Dominican church Santa Maria Novella |
Tristano d'Astangli | Luca's fellow at the workshop | Rosso | Luca's school friend | Michele | "Micky", Luca's school friend | Giuliano | Luca's school friend | Isolde | Tristano's sister |
Franco | fellow student of Alessandro | Claudio | fellow student of Alessandro | Leoni da Firenzuola | fellow student of Alessandro, his old school mate | Celestino | "Tino", medical student |