A modern uplighter lamp made completely from Italian alabaster (white and brown types). The base is 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter

Detail of base of alabaster lamp

Alabaster (sometimes called satin spar) is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals: gypsum (a hydrous sulfate of calcium) and the calcite (a carbonate of calcium). The former is the alabaster of the present day; the latter is generally the alabaster of the ancients. Download high resolution version (600x1002, 96 KB)Lamp made from Italian alabaster. ... Download high resolution version (600x1002, 96 KB)Lamp made from Italian alabaster. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (600x659, 96 KB)Base of a lamp made from Italian alabaster. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (600x659, 96 KB)Base of a lamp made from Italian alabaster. ... Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. ... Gypsum is a very soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. // Heating gypsum to between 100°C and 150°C (302°F) partially dehydrates the mineral by driving off exactly 75% of the water contained in its chemical structure. ... This prefix in chemical nomenclature indicates the presence of a hydroxyl functional group (-OH). ... General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Atomic mass 32. ... General Name, Symbol, Number calcium, Ca, 20 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 4, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 40. ... Doubly refracting Calcite from Iceberg claim, Dixon, New Mexico. ... In inorganic chemistry, a carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid. ...

The two kinds are readily distinguished from each other by their relative hardnesses. The gypsum kind is so soft as to be readily scratched by a finger-nail (hardness 1.5 to 2), while the calcite kind is too hard to be scratched in this way (hardness 3), though it does yield readily to a knife. Moreover, the calcite alabaster, being a carbonate, effervesces on being touched with hydrochloric acid, whereas the gypsum alabaster, when so treated, remains practically unaffected. Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer material. ... Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer material. ... In inorganic chemistry, a carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid. ... Effervesence from soda. ... The chemical compound hydrochloric acid is the aqueous (water-based) solution of hydrogen chloride (HCl). ...

Types

Calcite Alabaster

This substance, the "alabaster" of the Bible, is often termed Oriental alabaster, since the early examples came from the Far East. The Greek name alabastrites is said to be derived from the town of Alabastron, in Egypt, where the stone was quarried, but the locality probably owed its name to the mineral; the origin of the mineral-name is obscure, and it has been suggested that it may have had an Arabic origin. This "Oriental" alabaster was highly esteemed for making small perfume-bottles or ointment vases called alabastra, and this has been conjectured to be a possible source of the name. Alabaster was also employed in Egypt for canopic jars and various other sacred and sepulchral objects. A splendid sarcophagus, sculptured in a single block of translucent calcite alabaster from Alabastron, is in the Soane Museum, London. This was discovered by Giovanni Belzoni in 1817 in the tomb of Seti I near Thebes. It was purchased by Sir John Soane, having previously been offered to the British Museum. The word Bible refers to the canonical collections of sacred writings of Judaism and Christianity. ... The far east as a cultural block includes East Asia, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and South Asia. ... Arabic ( or just ), is the largest member of the family of Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew, Amharic, and Aramaic. ... ... Stone sarcophagus of Pharaoh Merenptah Detail of a stone sarcophagus in the Istanbul Archeological Museum showing a hunting scene Anthropoid sarcophagus discovered at Cádiz A sarcophagus is a stone container for a coffin or body. ... The Soane Museum is a museum of architecture, and was formerly the house and studio of Sir John Soane. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... Giovanni Battista Belzoni (1778 - December 3, 1823) was an Italian explorer of Egyptian antiquities. ... 1817 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Menmaatre Eternal is the Justice of Re Nomen Sety Merenptah Man of Set, beloved of Ptah Horus name Kanakht Khaemwaset-Seankhtawy Nebty name Wehemmesut Sekhemkhepesh Derpedjetpesdjet Golden Horus Wehemkhau Weserpedjutemtawnebu[1] Consort(s) Queen Tuya Issues Ramesses II Father Ramesses I Mother Queen Sitre Died 1279 BC Burial KV17 Major... Thebes For the ancient capital of Boeotia, see Thebes, Greece. ... Sir John Soane (10 September 1753 - 20 January 1837) was a British architect who specialised in the Neo-Classical tradition. ... The centre of the museum was redeveloped in 2000 to become the Great Court, with a tessellated glass roof by Buro Happold and Foster and Partners surrounding the original Reading Room. ...

When cut in thin sheets, alabaster is translucent enough to be used for small windows, and has been used so in medieval churches, especially in Italy. Large alabaster sheets are used extensively in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (dedicated 2002) of the Los Angeles (California) Archdiocese. The cathedral incorporates special cooling to prevent the panes from overheating and turning opaque. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles covers the City of Los Angeles as well as Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, California. ...

Calcite alabaster is either a stalagmitic deposit, from the floor and walls of limestone caverns, or a kind of travertine, similarly deposited in springs of calcareous water. Its deposition in successive layers gives rise to the banded appearance that the marble often shows on cross-section, whence it is known as onyx-marble or alabaster-onyx, or sometimes simply as onyx — a term which should, however, be restricted to siliceous minerals. Egyptian alabaster has been extensively worked near Suez and near Assiut; there are many ancient quarries in the hills overlooking the plain of Tell el Amarna. The Algerian onyx-marble has been largely quarried in the province of Oran. In Mexico, there are famous deposits of a delicate green variety at La Pedrara, in the district of Tecali, near Puebla. Onyx-marble occurs also in the district of Tehuacán and at several localities in California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Virginia. The Witchs Finger in the Carlsbad Caverns A stalagmite (from the Greek stalagma, drop) is a type of speleothem that rises from the floor of a limestone cave due to the dripping of mineralized solutions and the depositation of calcium carbonate. ... Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Alternate meanings: Cave (disambiguation) This article is about natural caves; for artificial caves used as dwellings, such as those in north China, see yaodong. ... Travertine A carving in travertine The rock travertine is a natural chemical precipitate of carbonate minerals; typically aragonite, but often recrystallized to or primary calcite; which is deposited from the water of mineral springs (especially hot springs) or streams saturated with calcium carbonate. ... Onyx is a banded variety of chalcedony, a cryptocrystalline form of quartz. ... SUEZ (Euronext: SZE, NYSE: SZE) is a leading French-based multinational corporation, with operations primarily in water, electricity and natural gas supply, and waste management. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Governorates of Egypt | Cities in Egypt ... Amarna (commonly known as el-Amarna) is the name given to an extensive archaeological site that represents the remains of the capital city built by the Pharaoh Akhenaten of the late Eighteenth Dynasty (c. ... View of Oran Oran (population 700,000) (Arabic: , Wahran) is a city in northwest Algeria, situated on the Mediterranean Sea coast. ... The city of Puebla – known more formally as Heróica Puebla de Zaragoza or less formally as La Angelópolis or Puebla de los Ángeles – is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name, and the fourth largest city in Mexico, after Mexico City, Guadalajara... Tehuacán is the second largest city in the Mexican state of Puebla, nestled in the Southeast Valley of Tehuacán, bordering the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz, with a population of 360,000. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... It has been suggested that Arizona Governors Mansion be merged into this article or section. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  Ranked 8th  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ... It has been suggested that Rest of Virginia be merged into this article or section. ...

Gypsum Alabaster

In the present day, when the term "alabaster" is used without any qualification, it invariably means a fine-grained variety of gypsum. This mineral, or alabaster proper, occurs in England. However, thousands of gypsum alabaster artifacts dating to the late 4th millennium BC have been found in Tell Brak (present day Nagar), in Syria [1]. And in Mesopotamia, a gypsum alabaster sculpture, believed to represent the god Abu, dates to the first half of the 3rd millennium BC [2]. Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... I archaeology, an artifact or artefact is any object made or modified by a human culture, and often one later recovered by some archaeological endeavor. ... (5th millennium BC – 4th millennium BC – 3rd millennium BC - other millennia) // Events Sumerian city of Ur in Mesopotamia (40th century BC); Sumerian hegemony in Mesopotamia, with the invention of writing, base-60 mathematics, astronomy and astrology, civil law, complex hydrology, the sailboat, the wheel, and the potters wheel, 4000... Nagar was an ancient pre-Akkadian and Akkadian city on the Khabur River in northeastern Syria which is now represented by the mound named Tell Brak. ... Nagar was an ancient pre-Akkadian and Akkadian city on the Khabur River in northeastern Syria which is now represented by the mound named Tell Brak. ... Mesopotamia refers to the region now occupied by modern Iraq, eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and Southwest Iran. ... why hello hello Sculptor redirects here. ... Look up Abu in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Abu means father of in Arabic. ... The 3rd millennium BC spans the Early to Middle Bronze Age. ...

Mineral alabaster occurs in England in the Keuper marls of the Midlands, especially at Chellaston in Derbyshire, at Fauld in Staffordshire and near Newark in Nottinghamshire. All these localities have been extensively worked. Indeed, in the 15th century its carving into icons and altarpieces, was a valuable local industry in these areas, as well as a major English export. Besides examples of these still in Britain (especially at the Nottingham Castle Museum, British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum), that trade in itself (rather than just the antiques trade) has scattered examples as far afield as the Musée de Cluny. Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Marls are calcium carbonate or lime rich muds or mudstones which contain variable amounts of clays and calcite or aragonite. ... In general, the midlands of a territory are its central regions. ... Map sources for Chellaston at grid reference SK379301 Chellaston is a suburb of the City of Derby, which is located in the East Midlands in England. ... Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. ... A partial suit of armor with a prominent fauld. ... Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... Newark (also Newark-on-Trent) is a town in Nottinghamshire, located on the River Trent. ... Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... The Savior Not Made By Hands (1410s, by Andrei Rublev) An icon (from Greek εικων, eikon, image) is an artistic visual representation or symbol of anything considered holy and divine, such as God, saints or deities. ... The Annunciation Triptych is an altarpiece, ca. ... The centre of the museum was redeveloped in 2000 to become the Great Court, with a tessellated glass roof by Buro Happold and Foster and Partners surrounding the original Reading Room. ... The Victoria and Albert Museum viewed from Thurloe Square. ... The Musée de Cluny, officially known as Musée National du Moyen Âge, is a museum in Paris, France, at 6 Place Paul Painlevé, south of the Blvd St. ...

Alabaster is also found, though in subordinate quantity, at Watchet in Somerset, near Penarth in Glamorganshire, and elsewhere. In Cumbria it occurs largely in the New Red rocks, but at a lower geological horizon. The alabaster of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire is found in thick nodular beds or "floors" in spheroidal masses known as "balls" or "bowls," and in smaller lenticular masses termed "cakes." At Chellaston, where the alabaster is known as "Patrick," it has been worked into ornaments under the name of "Derbyshire spar" — a term more properly applied to fluorspar. Statistics Population: Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: ST074431 Administration District: West Somerset Shire county: Somerset Region: South West England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Somerset Historic county: Somerset Services Police force: Avon and Somerset Police Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: South Western Post office and... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... Penarth (Welsh: pen head, + garth cliff or hill, or arth bear) is a town in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the Bristol Channel and Cardiff Bay. ... Glamorgan or Morgannwg is a maritime traditional county of Wales, UK, and was previously a medieval kingdom or principality. ... Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England. ... Octahedral fluorite crystals from New Mexico, USA Fluorite (also called fluor-spar or Blue John) is a mineral composed of calcium fluoride, CaF2. ...

Unlike the lamp, this fine alabaster sculpture is untreated: Its translucency and satiny lustre are preserved. Its base is of marble.

The finer kinds of alabaster are largely employed as an ornamental stone, especially for ecclesiastical decoration and for the rails of staircases and halls. Its softness enables it to be readily carved into elaborate forms, but its solubility in water renders it inapplicable to outdoor work. The purest alabaster is a snow-white material of fine tiniforni grain, but it is often associated with an oxide of iron, which produces brown clouding and veining in the stone. The coarser varieties of alabaster are converted by calcination into plaster of Paris, whence they are sometimes known as "plaster stone." Commons:Image:Alabaster-stin spar. ... Commons:Image:Alabaster-stin spar. ... An ornamental stone is a stone used as a decoration. ... This article should be transwikied to wiktionary Ecclesiastical means pertaining to the Church (especially Christianity) as an organized body of believers and clergy, with a stress on its juridical and institutional structure. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... This article is about the building material. ...

On the continent of Europe, the centre of the alabaster trade is Florence, Italy. Tuscan alabaster occurs in nodular masses embedded in limestone, interstratified with marls of Miocene and Pliocene age. The mineral is largely worked by means of underground galleries, in the district of Volterra. Several varieties are recognized — veined, spotted, clouded, agatiform, and others. The finest kind, obtained principally from Castellina, is sent to Florence for figure-sculpture, while the common kinds are carved at a very cheap rate locally into vases, clock-cases and various ornamental objects, in which a large trade is carried on, especially in Florence, Pisa and Leghorn. World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Florence (Italian, Firenze) is a city in the center of Tuscany, in central Italy, on the Arno River, with a population of around 400,000, plus a suburban population in excess of 200,000. ... Tuscany (Italian: ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. ... Marls are calcium carbonate or lime rich muds or mudstones which contain variable amounts of clays and calcite or aragonite. ... The Miocene epoch is a period of time that extends from about 23 to 5. ... The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts) is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5. ... A view of Volterra Volterra is a town in the Tuscany region, Italy. ... Country Italy Region Tuscany Province Province of Pisa (PI) Mayor Elevation 375 m Area 45. ... This article discusses the Italian city. ... Livorno, sometimes in English Leghorn, (population 170,000) is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. ...

In order to diminish the translucency of the alabaster and to produce an opacity suggestive of true marble, the statues are immersed in a bath of water and gradually heated nearly to the boiling-point — an operation requiring great care, for if the temperature is not carefully regulated, the stone acquires a dead-white, chalky appearance. The effect of heating appears to be a partial dehydration of the gypsum. If properly treated, it very closely resembles true marble and is known as marmo di Castellina. Sulphate of lime (gypsum) was used also by the ancients, and was employed, for instance, in Assyrian sculpture, so that some of the ancient alabaster is identical with the modern stone. In optics, transparency is the property of being transparent, or allowing light to pass. ...

Alabaster may be stained by digesting it, after being heated in various pigmentary solutions. In this way a good imitation of coral has been produced (alabaster coral). Subclasses Alcyonaria Zoantharia See text for orders. ...

Black Alabaster is a rare form of the gypsum-based mineral found in only three veins in the world, one each in Oklahoma (USA), Italy, and the People's Republic of China. Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Area  Ranked 20th  - Total 69,960 sq mi (181,196 km²)  - Width 230 miles (370 km)  - Length 298 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ...

Alabaster Caverns State Park, near Freedom, Oklahoma is home to a natural gypsum cave in which much of the gypsum is in the form of alabaster. There are several types of alabaster found at the site, including pink, white, and the rare black alabaster. Alabaster Caverns State Park, near Freedom, Oklahoma is home to the largest natural gypsum cave in the world that is open to the public. ... Freedom is a town located in Woods County, Oklahoma. ...

References in popular culture

• Very pale, creamy white skin is often referred to as alabaster skin.
• In America the Beautiful, a patriotic song in the United States, a verse recites: "Oh beautiful, for patriot's dream / That sees, beyond the years, / Thine alabaster cities gleam / Undimmed by human tears!"
• Snoop Dog guest starred on King of the Hill as Alabaster.
• Andrew Marvell, one of the most famous poets of the seventeenth century, frequently made reference to Alabaster. For example: "There at my feet shalt thou be laid, / Of purest Alabaster made. / For I would have thine Image be / White as I can, though not as thee" (From: "The Nymph Complaining for the death of her Faun").
• Also, see Emily Dickinson's poem: "Safe in their alabaster chambers."
• The Smiths song, "Shoplifters Of The World, Unite" contains the lines, "a heartless hand on my shoulder / a push and it's over / alabaster crashes down / six months is a long time"
• Sting wrote in his song "Wrapped Around Your Finger" (in the "Every Breath You Take" record of "The Police"): I will turn your face to alabaster / Then you'll find your servant is your master.
• "Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby," sung by Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch and popularized by the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, contains the lyric, "Come lay your bones on the alabaster stones / and be my everlovin' baby."
• In The Mighty Boosh, Tony Harrison refers to The Moon as an "Alabaster retard".
• In The Prince of Egypt the song "All I Ever Wanted" contains the lines Sweet perfumes of incense / Graceful rooms of alabaster stone / All I ever wanted / This is my home

America the Beautiful is an American patriotic song which rivals The Star-Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States, in popularity. ... Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus (born October 20, 1971 in Long Beach, California) is a rap musician and actor. ... King of the Hill is a satirical American animated television series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for the FOX Network. ... The Smiths were an English rock group active from 1982 to 1987. ... For other uses, see Sting (disambiguation). ... Every Breath You Take, a song written by Sting and originally performed by The Police, was first released on Synchronicity, a blockbuster 1983 album (see 1983 in music). ... The Police was a three-piece British rock band, which was strongly influenced by ska and reggae. ... The Mighty Boosh logo from the TV series The Mighty Boosh is a British cult comedy which has taken on several incarnations as a series of stage shows, a BBC radio series and a BBC Three TV series. ... Tony Harrison (born April 30, 1937) is an English poet. ... For other moons in the solar system see natural satellite. ...

Further reading

J. A. Harrell, "Misuse of the term 'alabaster' in Egyptology," Göttinger Miszellen, v. 119, 1990, pp. 37-42. Egyptology is the scientific study of Ancient Egypt and Egyptian antiquities and is a regional and thematic branch of the larger disciplines of ancient history and archaeology. ... This article is about the year. ...

See also

• list of minerals

• Alabaster is also a city in Alabama, USA. See: Alabaster, Alabama
• Alabaster is also a township in Michigan, USA. See: Alabaster Township, Michigan

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. Gem animals. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ... Alabaster is a city and southern suburb of Birmingham located in Shelby County, Alabama. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... Alabaster Township is a township located in Iosco County, Michigan. ... Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...