Natural Stone Lighting

Stone lighting at Teeshaa means Spanish alabaster: pendants, chandeliers, wall lights and table lamps carved from a translucent gypsum stone, designed in Bangalore and made in our own facilities in India. Several pieces are ready to order online; larger sizes and formats are made to order on enquiry. Each one is lit from within, so the stone, not a lamp, is what you see.

why alabaster for stone lighting.

Most stone is opaque. Lighting in stone usually means a backlit panel on a frame or a marble base under a fabric shade. Alabaster is the exception: light passes through walls thick enough to carve into a dome, a sphere, a ring or a column, so the whole form glows and no lamp is visible.

When lit, the clouding, veins and mineral density of each block become part of the light. No two blocks are alike, so no two pieces are. Each stone is reviewed unlit and lit, and multi-part pieces are matched for colour, clouding and transmission, so a cluster reads as a family.

Warm light suits the stone and the people under it. Most pieces run at 2700K as standard, with 2000K, 2300K or 3000K on several, and dimmed low the stone looks like a candle lit inside it.

The honest notes. Alabaster is soft, about 2 on the Mohs scale, and dislikes water and harsh chemicals, so it stays indoors and out of bathroom splash zones and is cleaned with a dry cloth. It costs more than glass. Onyx shows bolder bands and marble makes a fine base; we use an opaque Gorara stone body for exactly that reason in the Pebble lamp.

choosing stone lighting.

• Match the form to the room. Spheres and domes suit bedsides and small tables; rings and radial forms suit dining and living rooms; slender columns suit islands and bars; discs and rings on the wall suit corridors and bedsides.
• Over a table, hang the lowest point 75 to 90 cm (30 to 35 in) above the top, with the piece one half to two thirds of the table width. Keep 2.1 m (7 ft) clear in walkways.
• Real sizes to plan with: Lunar spheres 20 or 25 cm; Linea column 30 cm tall and 6 cm wide; Halo Crown rings 60, 80, 100 or 120 cm; Essenzo Dome sconce 27 cm high with a 20 cm projection.
• Choose 2700K for living and dining, 2000K to 2300K for bedrooms, and ask for dimming.
• Finishes vary by piece. Most offer Champagne Gold, Brass Gold, Black and White; the Aura Wall Mount comes in Brushed Brass, Antique Brass, Champagne Gold, Polished Nickel or Brushed Nickel; the Halo rings add Matte White, Brushed Brass, Antique Brass and Matte Black.
• Stone is heavier than glass. Ask your electrician to confirm the ceiling or wall fixing, and tell us the finished ceiling height so the rod can be cut to size.

the pieces.

The Alabaster Lana Style 3 is a soft, rounded pendant with organic veining, a good first piece of stone lighting over a small dining table or a bedside, where it can be looked at closely.

The Essenzo Porcini Table Lamp belongs to the Essenzo family of domed, rounded forms. On a console or a bedside the alabaster is read at arm's length, where its clouding and veining are clearest.

The Aura Wall Mount is a glowing alabaster disc for a corridor, a bedside or the wall behind a sofa, in Brushed Brass, Antique Brass, Champagne Gold, Polished Nickel or Brushed Nickel, centred 150 to 170 cm from the floor.

The Alabaster Linea Pendant is a 30 cm column, 6 cm wide, carved from a single block and lit at 2700K, hung on a stainless rod cut to size with a total drop up to 178 cm (70 in). In a row of two or three it lights a kitchen island or a bar.

The Pebble Lamp sets alabaster against an opaque stone: a hand-sculpted body in black or white Gorara holding the lit shade, in three sizes. It is the plainest demonstration of what each stone does best.

specifying and ordering.

Pieces marked ready to order ship in their listed sizes and finishes. Larger sizes and large formats are enquiry pieces, confirmed with a drawing and a lead time, typically 3 to 4 weeks. Integrated LED at 2700K is standard on most pieces, with 2000K, 2300K or 3000K on several; the Essenzo clusters and Dome sconce use E27 lamps. Dimming is available on request, with drivers remote or in the canopy. Suspension is on a stainless rod cut to size, or stainless wire with transparent cable on the Halo rings. Teeshaa ships across India and worldwide.

Architects and designers can request material samples, technical drawings and project terms through the Trade Programme. A stone piece drawn to a specific room is a Bespoke commission. Care is a soft dry cloth and nothing else; the care guide has the detail.

frequently asked questions.

What is the best stone for lighting?

Alabaster, for anything that needs to glow. It is the most translucent natural stone and passes light evenly through walls thick enough to carve. Onyx is translucent with bold bands and suits panels where pattern leads. Marble is mostly opaque and does its best work as a base or body under a translucent shade.

Is alabaster lighting real stone?

Yes. Teeshaa's pieces are carved from natural gypsum alabaster quarried in Aragon, Spain, with clouding and veining that differ from block to block. Many lamps sold online as alabaster are cast resin or printed glass; they look identical to one another and lack depth when lit. Ask for the origin of the stone before buying.

Does stone lighting need special installation?

It is hardwired like any pendant or wall light, but stone is heavier than glass, so ask your electrician to confirm the ceiling or wall fixing. Teeshaa cuts suspension rods and wires to the finished ceiling height you give us, and drivers can sit remotely or in the canopy. Handle the stone with dry hands and a soft cloth.

Can stone lights be used in a bathroom?

At a vanity or dressing area, yes, with an electrician's sign-off; not inside or directly above a bath or shower, where water reaches. Alabaster is a soft gypsum stone that dislikes water, so ventilate the room, wipe condensation with a dry cloth and keep the piece out of the splash zones.

How do I clean stone lighting?

With a soft dry cloth, or one that is barely damp, and nothing else. No sprays, no abrasive or acidic cleaners. Acids etch onyx and marble; water and chemicals mark alabaster. Dust table lamps regularly so grime never needs scrubbing, and follow the care guide supplied with each piece.

For a fair comparison of the three stones, read alabaster vs marble vs onyx in the journal. The full collection by form and series is at alabaster lighting, and close-range pieces are on alabaster table lamps.