Natural Stone Lighting: Inside the Majestone Collection

01 · The stone

Natural stone, millions of years in the making

Every Majestone panel starts as natural stone. It formed underground over millions of years, and its flowing veins and crystal inclusions are the record of that time: minerals that moved, settled and crystallised long before anyone thought to put a light behind them.

Much of the stone comes from Brazil, one of the world's great sources of decorative stone. Raw blocks are imported and opened into slabs, and each slab is checked by hand. Only the pieces that let light through well are kept for lighting.

No two panels are the same, because no two pieces of stone are.

That also means the panels on your fixture won't match the photos exactly. Veining shifts from slab to slab, and that variation is part of what you're buying, not a flaw in it.

Prefer a softer, milkier glow? Alabaster is the other stone we light. Read What Is Alabaster Stone? A Lighting Maker's Guide.

02 · The craft

Why the stone has to be thin

Stone only glows if light can get through it. At ordinary thickness most stone stays dark, and the only way to make it glow is to light it from behind, so the light sits on the surface.

So Majestone panels are sliced ultra-thin. That is harder than it sounds. Natural stone carries internal stress, and the thinner you cut it, the more easily it cracks. A lot of stone is lost along the way, and few workshops can do it consistently.

Standard-thickness stoneMajestone thin panel

Light

Blocked; the stone has to be lit from behind

Passes through the stone itself

Veining

Seen on the surface

Glows from within, soft and even

Look

Solid and heavy

Lighter and more delicate

Within a few millimetres: thin enough for the light, strong enough to hang.

How a panel is made

Each panel goes through ten steps, most of them by hand:

• 01Select. Choose stone that transmits light well.
• 02Slab. Cut the block into large slabs.
• 03Gauge. Grind each slab to a set thickness.
• 04Bond and split. Bond the slab to backing panels, then saw it through the middle into two thin layers.
• 05Polish. Machine-polish the stone face.
• 06Seal. Brush a protective coat over the face.
• 07Shape. Cut the panel to its final outline.
• 08Finish. Polish again by hand.
• 09Assemble. Fit the panels into the metal frame.
• 10Inspect. Check every fixture before it is packed.

From the workshop

03 · The stones

The stone library

Every Majestone design comes in a choice of stones. Here is the full range, with the trade name each stone goes by in the stone industry. That helps if you're matching a countertop, floor or fireplace already in the room.

Whites

• 
  Alpine WhiteTrade name: Yugoslav WhiteBright white with fine grey veins running on the diagonal. The most versatile white in the range.On the Tiered Stone Cone Chandelier and Scalloped Oval Linear Chandelier
• 
  Polar WhiteTrade name: Crystal WhiteA clean, almost plain white with a soft crystalline texture.On the Tiered Stone Tile Ring Chandelier
• 
  Bold Vein WhiteTrade name: Calacatta WhiteWhite with bold grey veins and the odd gold streak. The most graphic of the whites.On the Oval Twin Disc Mini Pendant
• 
  Green Vein WhiteTrade name: Jade WhiteWhite with soft green and gold veins.On the Tiered Scalloped Stone Chandelier
• 
  Mist WhiteA soft white with cloudy, low-contrast movement.On the Stone Cube Mini Pendant
• 
  Clear CrackleTrade name: White Quartz CrystalIcy and crackled, like frozen water. The most even pattern in the range, so panels match closely across large or paired fixtures.On the Tiered Stone Tile Ring Chandelier

Greens

• 
  Moss GreenTrade name: Emerald GreenPale green with olive and charcoal flecks.On the Stone Tile Ring Chandelier and Faceted Stone Lantern Pendant
• 
  Fern GreenTrade name: Green ForestVivid green with dark, branching veins. The brightest green once lit.On the Straight Tile Linear Chandelier
• 
  Seafoam GreenTrade name: Victoria GreenSea green with flowing bands of white and deep green.On the Tiered Stone Tile Ring Chandelier and Stone Tile Wall Sconce
• 
  Deep VerdeTrade name: Prada GreenNear-black green with sharp white veins. Dramatic by day, deep green at night.On the Tiered Scalloped Stone Chandelier and Stone Tile Ring Chandelier

Blues and greys

• 
  Tianshan SnowTrade name: Snow Mountain BlueGrey, cream and charcoal crystals that turn amber and gold when lit. The most-used stone in the collection.On the Overlapping Stone Disc Dome Chandelier and Staggered Stone Tile Linear Pendant
• 
  Ice BlueTrade name: Blue Quartz CrystalCool blue-grey crystal with cloudy movement.On the Faceted Stone Lantern Pendant
• 
  Dove GreyTrade name: Fish Maw GreyA pale, quiet grey for rooms that don't want a statement.On the Stone Tile Wall Sconce

Patterned and warm

• 
  Ink WashTrade name: Landscape MarbleCream stone with grey-green markings that read like a brush-and-ink landscape painting.On the Faceted Hexagon Stone Pendant and Inverted Pyramid Stone Pendant
• 
  Taupe StripeTrade name: Straight Vein GoldStraight, parallel bands of taupe, grey and cream.On the Slim Stone Tile Drum LED Pendant
• 
  Ivory OnyxCreamy onyx with soft, wavy banding.On the Onyx Cylinder Mini Pendant

04 · Where it goes

Choosing a shape for the room

The stone sets the mood; the shape decides where the fixture works. Most Majestone designs fall into four groups.

Over the dining table: rings and tiers

A ring or a tiered drum centres the table and spreads light evenly over it. As a rule of thumb, choose a diameter of about half to two-thirds of the table's width. The Stone Tile Ring Chandelier comes in 23.6" and 31.5"; the Overlapping Stone Disc Dome layers rounded panels into a softer silhouette.

Kitchen islands: linear fixtures and mini pendants

Long islands and tables suit one linear fixture instead of a row of separate pendants. The Scalloped Oval Linear Chandelier runs from 35.4" to 63" long, and the Straight Tile Linear Chandelier from 35.4" to 55.1". If you'd rather have a row, the mini pendants, such as the Twin Panel, Stone Cube and Onyx Cylinder, work in twos and threes.

Foyers and stairwells: tall, tiered pieces

Double-height spaces need a fixture with some vertical presence. The Tiered Stone Cone Chandelier reaches 35.4" tall in its three-tier size, and the Tiered Scalloped Stone Chandelier goes up to four tiers.

Bedrooms and hallways: sconces and small pendants

The Stone Tile Wall Sconce brings the same glow to a wall, beside a bed or along a corridor. A single mini pendant also makes a bedside light that frees up the nightstand.

New to the fixture types? Read Types of Lighting Fixtures: Chandeliers, Pendant Lights, Wall Sconces & Table Lamps.

05 · Finish

Gold, chrome or black

Every Majestone design comes in three metal finishes. The stone does most of the talking; the finish sets the temperature.

• GoldWarms the greens and creams. The natural partner for Moss Green, Fern Green, Tianshan Snow and Ink Wash.
• ChromeCool and crisp. Sharpens the whites and blues: Alpine White, Polar White, Clear Crackle and Ice Blue.
• BlackDraws a clean outline around the stone. Strongest with Deep Verde and Bold Vein White, and in rooms with other black hardware.

06 · Ordering

Made to order, packed to travel

Majestone pieces don't come off a warehouse shelf. Each one is made to order: the stone is selected, cut, finished and assembled largely by hand, and that takes time.

If you need a piece by a particular date, get in touch before you order and we'll confirm the timing.

Stone doesn't forgive a rough journey, so each fixture is wrapped in thick, one-piece EPE foam shaped to its outline, then packed in a heavy-duty reinforced export carton.

Need a longer cable or a different size? Many details can be adjusted on most pieces. Email support@yiosilamp.com before you order.

Questions

Frequently asked questions