What is travertine? A natural limestone formed by mineral springs. As the water deposits calcium carbonate, layer after layer, gas and water leave small cavities in the stone. Those pores, with soft bands of warm, earthy color, set travertine apart from marble, which is denser and marked by veins instead.
How does travertine form?
Travertine forms where mineral springs reach the surface, some of them hot. The water carries dissolved calcium carbonate. As it flows out into the open, the mineral comes out of the water and settles. Layer by layer, those deposits harden into stone.
Two traits come from this slow build-up. The first is banding: the layers often show as faint lines or shifts of tone. The second is porosity. Gas bubbles and water channels leave cavities as the stone grows, and they remain once it hardens.
Travertine is a calcareous stone, like marble and limestone. That shared chemistry explains a shared weakness: acids attack the surface. Our comparison of marble vs travertine table lamps sets the two stones side by side.
Why does travertine have pores?
The pores are the record of how the stone formed. They are not damage, and they are not a defect. On floors and counters, the pores are often filled with resin or cement to give a flat surface. On a lamp base, nothing needs to stand on the stone, so the pores can stay as they are.
On Sillon, the pores of the beige travertine are left open, as they come. On Tellur and Silex, the natural pitting shows on the surface. Look at these bases in raking light and the pores hold small shadows. That is the texture people mean when they speak of travertine.
Because the pores are open, the stone takes in liquid more readily than a dense marble. On a lamp, that means one simple habit: wipe any spill quickly.
Color and finish
Travertine takes its color from the minerals in the water. The range runs through warm tones: ivory, beige, taupe, and browner or redder stones. Within one block, the tone often shifts gently along the layers.
Our three travertine lamps use three of those tones.
| Lamp | Travertine | Surface | Height | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sillon | Beige | Natural pitting, pores left open | 18.9 in | Plug-in |
| Tellur | Taupe | Matte, natural pitting | 12.6 in | Plug-in |
| Silex | Light beige, faint vertical shifts in tone | Natural pitting | 11.8 in | Cordless, rechargeable |
Finish changes how the stone reads. Polished travertine takes on a sheen and its colors deepen. Honed travertine is smooth and matte. A tumbled or brushed surface looks worn and soft at the edges. On a lamp, a matte surface lets the texture lead: Tellur shows it, with a base and a woven drum in one shade of taupe.
The light of the lamp also changes the stone. On Silex, the light falls from under a bronze dome onto the base, and the top of the travertine turns amber. You can see each stone lit and unlit in our travertine table lamps.
From the collection
- Sillon: beige travertine with open pores, dark bronze dome, 18.9 in tall.
- Tellur: matte taupe travertine with a matching woven drum, 12.6 in tall.
- Silex: light beige travertine under a matte bronze dome, cordless, 11.8 in tall.
Questions
Is travertine a kind of limestone?
Yes. Travertine is a limestone laid down by mineral springs, made mostly of calcium carbonate. What sets it apart from other limestones is the way it forms: in layers, around flowing water, with gas and water leaving pores. Marble is a different stone, formed when limestone recrystallizes under heat and pressure.
Why does my travertine lamp have small holes?
They are the natural pores of the stone. Gas bubbles and water channels leave them as travertine forms around mineral springs. On a lamp base, we leave this texture visible: on Sillon, the pores are left open, as they come. They are a mark of real travertine, and no two bases show the same pattern.
How do you clean a travertine lamp?
Dust the stone with a soft, dry brush or cloth. Travertine is porous, so wipe spills quickly before they settle. Avoid acidic cleaners, such as vinegar or lemon-based products, which can dull the surface. For a fabric shade like Tellur's, brush it gently or use a vacuum on low.
See the three stones in real rooms: explore the travertine table lamps.