Nicolai Medvedev's formal training as an artist was largely in the western European tradition as taught both in art institutes in Ashkhabad and Moscow. His eye for pattern and color, however, was schooled by daily life in his native Turkmenia, a land of carpets, mosques, and woven textiles. As a young artist, Medvedev chose oil colors to create sunlit landscapes and still lifes. But minerals and gemstones always fascinated Medvedev, and he would travel hours on trains from Moscow to St. Petersburg to admire the massive malachite urns and lapis-faced columns of the Hermitage Museum. The painter eventually exchanged his minerals suspended in linseed oil for the intensity and magic of the actual minerals themselves, virtually reinventing the tradition of pietra dura, or stone inlay, in the process. Since making the transition, Medvedev's work has been recognized by collectors and museums all over the world. Most notably, Medvedev had a one man show featuring thirty-six pieces in the Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution. For several years his collection was located next to the world renowned, Hope Diamond in the Gem Hall of the museum and presently five boxes remain in their permanent collection.