Marble

OTO marble lights are exclusively made of Naxian Crystallina.

Naxian marble is called “Crystallina” because of its transparency and ability to reflect the light. This ability is a result of the quartz it contains.

Ancient Greeks noted the transparency of Naxian marble and used it for the ceiling of their temples since the 6th century BC. Thin roof tiles of Naxian marble let the sunlight through, offering a natural illumination to the temples’ interiors.

According to Pausanias:

τὸ δὲ εὕρημα ἀνδρὸς Ναξίου λέγουσιν εἶναι Βύζου, οὗ φασιν ἐν Νάξῳ τὰ ἀγάλματα ἐφ’ ὧν ἐπίγραμμα εἶναι Νάξιος Εὔεργός με γένει Λητοῦς πόρε, Βύζεω παῖς, ὃς πρώτιστος τεῦξε λίθου κέραμον.

Today, 2500 years later, we bring back the forgotten use of Naxian marble as means of diffusion of light.