Tesserae offered a greater range of tints and were more easily laid and adapted to the required design. They produced even surfaces, which could be ground and waxed to enhance the brilliance of their colors.
दुसऱ्‍या शतकापर्यंत, रंगीत काचेच्या लहान तुकड्यांचाही भरपूर वापर करण्यात येऊ लागला आणि कलाकाराला बरेच रंग उपलब्ध झाले.