Alabaster Lighting Glossary

This alabaster lighting glossary defines 24 terms used with Teeshaa lighting, from gypsum, calcite and translucency to correlated colour temperature, driver, canopy and drop. Each entry is one or two sentences, grouped by stone, light, hardware and ordering, so a buyer, designer or electrician can check a word quickly.

key facts.

• Alabaster is the name for two minerals, gypsum and calcite; the alabaster used in lighting is gypsum.
• Teeshaa's lights use Spanish alabaster, which is naturally translucent and differs from block to block.
• Most Teeshaa pieces use integrated LED at 2700K, and several offer 2000K, 2300K or 3000K.
• Dimming is available on request, and the driver can sit in the canopy or remotely.
• Made-to-order pieces are typically 3 to 4 weeks, and the lead time is stated on the product page.

what do the stone terms mean?

These nine terms describe the material. Alabaster is soft, so it is judged by how it transmits light and how it is handled, not by hardness.

term	meaning
Alabaster	A fine-grained, translucent, soft stone. The name covers two minerals, gypsum and calcite; the alabaster used in lighting is gypsum.
Gypsum	Calcium sulfate dihydrate, with a Mohs hardness of about 2. It is slightly soluble in water, which is why alabaster is kept dry.
Calcite	Calcium carbonate, with a Mohs hardness of about 3. The stone sold as Egyptian alabaster is usually calcite.
Mohs hardness	A scale from 1 to 10 that ranks minerals by resistance to scratching. A higher number scratches a lower one.
Translucency	The property of letting light pass through while scattering it, so shapes behind are not seen clearly. It is what makes alabaster glow.
Clouding	Hazy, milky areas where the stone scatters more light. Clouding differs from block to block.
Veining	Lines or bands of a different tone, such as grey or amber, running through the stone.
Mineral inclusion	A small fleck or patch of another mineral held in the stone. Inclusions are natural and are not treated as a defect.
Matching	Choosing the sections of a multi-part Teeshaa piece so that colour, clouding and light transmission agree.

what do the lighting terms mean?

These seven terms describe the light. Alabaster is a diffused source, so the layers around it matter as much as the piece.

term	meaning
Correlated colour temperature (CCT)	How warm or cool a white light appears, measured in kelvins. Lower values look warmer and yellower.
Kelvin (K)	The unit for colour temperature. 2700K is a warm white; Teeshaa options include 2000K, 2300K and 3000K.
Lumen	The unit of luminous flux, the total visible light a source emits. Lumens measure brightness; watts measure power drawn.
Ambient light	The general, background light that fills a room. A diffused alabaster piece usually serves here.
Accent light	Light that draws the eye to an object, a surface or a feature of the room.
Task light	Focused light for reading, cooking or working. Alabaster is not a task light, so pair it with discreet downlights.
Dimming	Lowering the light output. Teeshaa lists dimming as available on request, and the dimmer type should be confirmed before wiring.

what do the hardware and ceiling terms mean?

These five terms matter most to the electrician and the person measuring the room.

term	meaning
Driver	The component that converts mains power into the steady low-voltage supply an LED needs. On Teeshaa pieces it sits in the canopy or remotely.
Canopy	The cover plate at the ceiling where a hanging light is fixed and its wiring is hidden.
Drop	The distance from the ceiling fixing to the bottom of the piece. On the Linea Pendant, the drop on a stainless rod goes up to about 178 cm.
Suspension rod	A rigid rod, here stainless steel cut to size, that holds a fitting at its drop. Some pieces use stainless wire with transparent cable.
False-ceiling cove	A recess in a false ceiling, often 20 to 30 cm deep. Measure the finished ceiling, not the slab.

what do the ordering terms mean?

Teeshaa uses three ordering terms, and a single product can mix them.

term	meaning
Ready to order	Smaller pieces and sizes that can be ordered online. The 60 cm Small Halo Crown is one example.
Made to order	Made after the order is placed, typically in 3 to 4 weeks. These pieces are not eligible for returns, exchanges or refunds.
Price on request	Larger formats and some sizes, quoted by the studio on enquiry and made to order.

how Teeshaa fits this vocabulary.

Teeshaa designs from Bangalore and makes in its own facilities in India, working in Spanish alabaster. The material page explains how the stone is reviewed unlit and lit, and the guide to why alabaster glows covers translucency. The alabaster lighting guide maps the range.

See the terms in use on the Alabaster Linea Pendant, the Halo Crown Chandelier and the Totem Table Lamp. For a fact sheet on the company itself, see Teeshaa at a glance.

frequently asked questions.

Is alabaster the same as marble?

No. Alabaster is a soft, fine-grained, translucent stone, and the alabaster used in lighting is gypsum. Marble is a harder, metamorphic form of limestone or dolomite and is generally far less translucent. Teeshaa's lights use Spanish alabaster, which passes light through its thickness and differs from block to block.

What is the difference between gypsum alabaster and calcite alabaster?

The word alabaster covers two minerals. Gypsum alabaster is calcium sulfate dihydrate, with a Mohs hardness of about 2. Calcite alabaster is calcium carbonate, with a Mohs hardness of about 3, so it is harder. Teeshaa's lighting alabaster is gypsum, which is why it needs gentle handling and dry placement.

What does 2700K mean on a light?

2700K is a correlated colour temperature of 2700 kelvins, a warm white with a yellowish tone. Lower numbers look warmer and higher numbers look cooler. Most Teeshaa pieces use integrated LED at 2700K, and several offer 2000K, 2300K or 3000K as alternatives.

What is a driver in an LED light?

A driver is the component that converts mains electricity into the steady, low-voltage supply an LED needs. On Teeshaa pieces it can sit in the canopy or remotely, and product pages list this as Driver: Remote or In-canopy. Dimming depends on the driver, so confirm the dimmer type with the studio.

What does made to order mean at Teeshaa?

Made to order means the piece is made after it is ordered. Teeshaa's made-to-order pieces are typically 3 to 4 weeks, and the product page states the lead time. Custom-made, made-to-order and specially commissioned pieces are not eligible for returns, exchanges or refunds.

Reviewed by the Teeshaa studio, 19 October 2026.

sources.

• Wikipedia: Alabaster (two minerals, gypsum and calcite; translucent and soft).
• Wikipedia: Gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O, Mohs hardness 2, moderately water-soluble).
• Wikipedia: Color temperature (correlated colour temperature; lower values read as warm).
• Wikipedia: Lumen (unit) (the SI unit of luminous flux).