Our alabaster is a result of millions of years of natural formation in Northern Italy.
The abundant natural deposits in the region are globally recognized for their exceptional qualities, including compactness, transparency, intricate veins, and exceptional hardness.
ALABASTER
Guided by the hands of skilled master artisans, each piece is meticulously turned from solid stone, revealing a flawlessly pure, white translucency complemented by subtle brown accents.
STONE
AS RECORD
The distinct pattern on each light fixture is shaped by the inherent qualities of the stone itself, brought to life through the expert use of traditional stone-carving techniques with roots dating back to 1895. The pattern is record of its 6 million year journey to you. Impossible to predict.
There is an unparalleled beauty of the process of our stone-cutting artisan who prepares the pieces for the second artisan who continues the stone-carving by hand until its final form.
Our artistans perpetuate centuries-old traditions that lie at the core of their legacy, drive by a ferver for craftsmanship that spans generations.
Today, following traditional principles, dipesciatura is done manually, slowly,
by hand with fine sandpapers.
Sprellatura is performed with a rotating brush applied with triplo, a paste of powdered shells and crustaceans.
The utmost care must be taken to avoid overheating, which causes ingessire, or loss of transparency. Polishing is done with a soft brush and lustro, a fine abrasive powder resembling chalk.
What makes our alabaster truly distinct, is that we retain the natural qualities of the stone. Using only natural materials like wax when finishing.
For centuries the Italian industry was predominantly men. Women were confined to only polish the final stonework. This was true until the 1980s. Today, female artisans are at the forefront and work in all aspects of our Italian alabaster fabrication.
Polishing is one of the most fascinating and misunderstood aspects of alabaster work. Since the 1950s, many pieces have been coated in synthetic polyester resins, which are inexpensive, glossy, and waterproof but prevent the alabaster from breathing, aging naturally, and showing its transparency, veining, and color. Polyester often yellows over time.
Instead, our alabaster is finished by slowly heating it over embers and coating it with “sparmaceto,” our custom mixture of oil, wax, and tallow. Multiple applications are used until our iconic shine and softness is perfect, and is followed by cotton buffing using cloths that have been passed down through generations.
SIGNATURE
METAL
FINISHES
Our metal finishes are a celebration of the refined, unparalleled attention of our master finishers in Italy.
Each finish can only be achieved through intricacy, nuance, passion and generations of practice.
A commitment to craft.
Each chain link, shade, screw and canopy was created many years ago sitting at a table in Tuscany along slide our artistans. These small parts are not stock, sourced from a catalogue, but each handmade and slowly finished by hand with the utmost attention and intention. This process can not be rushed and takes several slow methodical rounds until we get the desired tone.
METAL FINISHES
Blackened Brass
Brushed Brass
Brushed Nickel
TO THE
TRADE
A beautiful, authentic way to stay connected and inspired together.
As a member of our trade program you'll be the first to know about new arrivals from Italy, as well as get a note from the studio or our artisans.
It's a really special look inside our Made in Italy story.