Cement-tile artisans use colorful pigments to form hundreds of designs. The tiles have been popular for nearly 200 years as a beautiful and affordable building material, but today, they can cost over 10 times as much as some ceramic subway tiles. And despite the premium, many workshops have struggled to stay in business. Now, the price for their main ingredient has skyrocketed, aggravated by supply-chain issues and shortages. So, what's made cement tiles more expensive? And can new trends sustain this traditional craft?