topezz Home Decor
Onyx, marble and slate are translucent rocks. This rare feature can be used in many projects with amazing effects. Onyx (e.g. Onyx Honey) is a rare semi-precious stone with translucent properties. Onyx is an extremely beautiful natural stone on its own, but when lit from behind it becomes astonishing. Marble (e.g. Arabescato) is a natural stone known for its beauty, which is enhanced by backlighting.
SKIN Flexible Slate is a thin plate with a maximum thickness of 2mm that highlights its beauty when backlit. The backlighting allows you to highlight all the features, while the otherwise unexplored depth of its beauty, the essence of the colors practically “ignites” the stone and reveals its almost unimaginable depth. Vertical backlit installations allow for a sharp presentation of the stone for maximum impact and full appreciation of its beauty. The latest lighting technology has made it possible to move from bulky fluorescent tubes, which require a lot of space and, in addition, require consistent and difficult maintenance, to LED strips, electroluminescent diodes, small but with a long service life, installed in strands or panels.
To adopt the display solution in front of an LED panel, you need to answer the following questions:
• What type of natural stone should I buy? Onyx and marble are limestone rocks, require constant care and maintenance and carry the risk of staining. It makes more sense to use them as decorative elements without using and working with them regularly. Slate is a sedimentary rock made of silica, slightly sensitive to acids and stains and more resistant to external influences. It can be used for any application, including outdoors.
• Is the stone translucent enough? Because not all types of marble, onyx and slate are translucent. Only those that meet the necessary conditions for the light to intensify the natural stone colors should be selected.
• Were the colors chosen correctly? This issue is related to the initial selection of the stone. The highlighted colors should be consistent with the interior design of the location. That’s why we choose different colors for a closed, decorative box than the wall coverings in a hotel front office.
• What about the appropriate thickness? This is a sensitive issue and affects your decorating project. You may find applications where a thicker surface is required, but it can reduce transparency and blur backlight effects.
• What about the back box? This is made of plastic, plywood or sheet metal and it is important that it is easily accessible for maintenance and cleaning. Especially when operating outdoors, it is recommended to keep the box closed so that the translucent surface can be cleaned.
• What about the cleaning procedures? The aftercare of transparent surfaces is challenging in dusty environments and areas at risk of stains. Marble and onyx in particular are very sensitive to corrosive substances that leave stains. In addition, surfaces are sensitive to mechanical influences (hits, scratches). SKIN Flexible Slate is sometimes sensitive to scratches and needs to be protected. Cleaning with professional cleaning products and surface aftercare are essential elements for the proper functioning of projects with transparent panels.
• What about the price? Onyx is a gemstone and more expensive; Marble and slate are cheaper and the backlight (LED strips) does not involve a high cost. For this reason, translucent natural stone projects are not expensive.
