Alabaster is the stone that glows. It is soft, translucent and usually gypsum, so light travels through the shade itself. Marble and travertine are both mostly calcium carbonate: harder and mostly opaque, so they read as a lit surface rather than a lit shade. Marble is the smooth, dense one with fine veining, travertine is the banded, pitted one, and gypsum alabaster is the only one of the three that a fingernail will scratch.
The three stones side by side
The figures describe the stone itself. A fixture will weigh and glow differently depending on how thick it is cut.
| Stone | What it is | Glow | Weight and care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabaster | Usually gypsum (calcium sulfate), 1.5–2 on the Mohs scale; a harder calcite kind also exists | Translucent: the whole shade lights up and the veining shows | About 2.3 times as dense as water. Scratches with a fingernail, dissolves slightly in water: dry cloth only |
| Marble | Limestone or dolomite recrystallised by heat and pressure | Mostly opaque; some light enters the surface and scatters | Calcite is about 2.7 times as dense as water, the heaviest of the three. Etched by acids |
| Travertine | Limestone laid down by mineral-rich water at springs, with pits left by gas | Mostly opaque; bands and pits show as texture | Calcite with pores, so lighter than solid marble of the same size. Etched by acids; pits hold dust |
Glow: only one stone works as a lantern
Alabaster passes light through itself, so a bulb inside it lights the whole shade, and the veining shows up as the light comes on. Marble is not completely opaque: light can travel roughly 1.3 to 3.8 cm (0.5 to 1.5 in) into it before it scatters back out. In a fixture, though, the marble usually sits around or in front of the bulb rather than being cut thin, so it reads as a pale, smooth surface the light washes across. Travertine is more opaque again, and what you notice is texture, because its bands and pits throw small shadows when lit. A warm bulb of 2700–3000K suits all three. Cool white tends to make alabaster and travertine look grey, and our warm white vs cool white vs daylight guide explains the Kelvin numbers.
Is travertine marble, and is alabaster marble?
Neither. Marble is a metamorphic rock, limestone or dolomite that heat and pressure have recrystallised. Travertine was never changed that way: it is a sedimentary limestone that formed when calcium carbonate came out of water, which is why it is banded and pitted. Some sellers write "travertine marble", but the stone is classed as a limestone. Alabaster is a different mineral again, gypsum in most lamps, and so far softer than either. Our guides to alabaster and travertine lighting go further into each stone.
Weight: thickness counts for more than the stone
All three are heavy. One of our alabaster cylinder pendants, with a shade only 14 cm (5.5 in) across and 14 cm tall, lists 2.3 kg (5 lb), and the 16.5 cm size lists 3 kg (6.6 lb). Size for size, marble is the heaviest, because calcite is about a sixth denser than gypsum, and the pores in travertine take some weight away. A thick alabaster shade can still outweigh a thin marble one. Not every product page lists a weight. Where one does, read it before you decide on the fixing, and fix a heavy pendant into a joist or a rated anchor rather than plasterboard or drywall alone.
Care: how much each stone forgives
Alabaster needs the most gentle handling. The gypsum kind scratches under a fingernail and dissolves slightly in water, so wipe it with a dry, soft cloth only and keep it out of damp rooms. Washing polished alabaster with dishwashing liquid can leave it rough and dull. Marble and travertine are mostly calcium carbonate, which reacts with acid, so vinegar, lemon juice and many bathroom cleaners can etch a dull mark that will not wipe off. A soft cloth, dry or barely damp, is the whole routine. Some travertine has its pits filled and polished smooth and some is left open; on open pieces, a soft dry brush gets dust out of the holes. Treat all three as indoor stones unless the product page gives an outdoor rating.
Worked example: one bed, three stones
Say a bedroom needs a light either side of the bed, and the stone is still undecided.
- Alabaster: two cylinder pendants with alabaster shades, 14 cm size, hung on their 150 cm (59 in) cords. Each lists 2.3 kg, so the pair puts 4.6 kg (10 lb) on two ceiling points, and each point needs its own fixing. Both shades light up from inside, with a listed 3000K warm light.
- Marble: two Calira marble wall lights, each 20 cm (7.9 in) across and 20 cm tall with a built-in 10W LED at 2700–3000K. They are hardwired, so each side of the bed needs a junction box and an electrician. The marble stays a solid form rather than a lantern.
- Travertine: two Amidori travertine lamps on the bedside tables, each 17.5 cm (6.9 in) long and 17 cm (6.7 in) tall. They plug in and take your own bulb with an E26 or E27 base, 40W at most. To dim one you need a plug-in dimmer as well as a dimmable bulb. There is no fixing and no wiring.
So for the most glow, take the alabaster. If the walls have no wiring and you may move house, the travertine lamps are the easy route. If you want a still, solid look and the junction boxes are already there, the marble does it.
Which stone for which job
- You want the fixture to glow: alabaster lighting, in a room that stays dry and where nobody will brush against it.
- You want a smooth, dense stone with fine veining: marble lighting.
- You want texture and an earthy look: travertine lighting, which suits the same quiet palette as wabi-sabi lighting.
- The light will be handled often: marble or travertine, which are harder than alabaster.
FAQ
Is travertine a type of marble?
No. Travertine is a sedimentary limestone formed at springs, and marble is limestone that has been recrystallised by heat and pressure. They share calcium carbonate, which is why shops sometimes call travertine marble, but the two stones form and look differently.
Is alabaster a kind of marble?
It is not. Lamp alabaster is usually gypsum, a different and much softer mineral than the calcium carbonate in marble. It is also translucent, so an alabaster shade glows all over while marble stays largely solid.
Which glows more, alabaster or marble?
Alabaster. Light passes through it, so the entire shade lights up. Marble lets a little light a centimetre or two into the surface, but most marble fixtures read as a pale solid with the light around it.
Is a marble light heavier than an alabaster one?
For the same size and thickness, yes, compared with gypsum alabaster, because marble is denser. In practice, thickness changes the weight as much as the stone does, so check the weight on the product page where one is listed.
How do I clean an alabaster, marble or travertine light?
Use a soft dry cloth, or one barely damp for marble and travertine, and keep acids away from both. Alabaster should stay dry, because water can dissolve it a little and rubbing can scratch it.
Do the holes in travertine matter?
They are part of the stone, left by gas bubbles as it formed. Open pits add texture and collect dust, while filled and honed pieces are smoother and easier to wipe.