Alabaster Lighting

Alabaster is a soft, fine-grained sedimentary gypsum rock with a smooth, translucent appearance. Even with substantial thick alabaster, light can pass through it creating a warm glow that's exquisite and elevates any room of your home.

Alabaster is made of finely grained gypsum rock (calcium sulfate).

Alabaster has long been used for statues, carvings, and lamps. Its translucent properties make it a popular choice for lighting fixtures to add an ambient and elegant light in homes.

Alabaster lights can range largely in price depending on the type of fixture and quality of craftsmanship. They can go from low-end $200 wall sconces to ornately designed $7000 pendant lights.

Alabaster is less expensive than marble as it is easy to work with and commonly quarried in Europe.

Normal white alabaster is not rare. It is commonly found in Europe. However, black alabaster is rare since it is only found in 3 veins around the world.

Real alabaster is twice as heavy as imitations and weighs about 65kg per square foot. If you find two pieces of alabaster with the same vein placement, they are likely fake.

Alabaster is a soft, off-white color with varying levels of grey and beige unique to each piece. Brown veins of iron oxide can run through them, giving each its own unique charm.

Alabaster is a naturally made stone, mostly found in deposits around Europe.

Only when not properly processed and mixed with water can alabaster make a poisonous gas called hydrogen sulfide.

Alabaster should be cleaned using solvents such as acetone or mineral spirits. Use a soft cloth or cotton swab to clean it depending on size. Avoid using water and other cleaning products.

Alabaster can yellow from air pollutants such as cleaning products. Strong acids reacting with minerals in the alabaster can cause this.

Alabaster is easily bruised, scratched, broken, and deteriorated by water. However, damage done to alabaster is usually caused by poor attempts at cleaning.