To backlight onyx on a wall installation it must be installed to cladding. That is a panel or mechanical fastening which allows the onyx to have space between the wall and the back of the stone. This open area is where the lights are installed. There is no ‘clear’ adhesive to use for this type of installation. There are different methods that *may* work but none have been tested long-term, none of which I’m aware anyway.

Im covering the bathroom walls with honey colored onyx, 1/2 in thick, and I want to backlight it, what kind of adhesive can I use to that? I need some kind of clear glue to hold the lights and tiles.

I am also covering another bathroom with dark green onyx, but this thicker, 1 1/2, and it will also have LED lights in the back. What can I use for this as an adhesive?

Any natural stone requires considerably more maintenance than ceramic or porcelain. Natural stones also have ‘layers’ or degrees of required maintenance in specific applications. Onyx is fairly brittle so it does not handle items such as skillets being dropped on it very well. It chips easily if you aren’t careful. ‘Honed’ simply means the stone surface has been ground to a flat, consistent surface.

Properly sealed, with a very good sealer, and cleaned with the proper products (Ph neutral stone cleaners) it will last very well. It will require regular, specific maintenance, though.

Thank you for the kind words!

The look really depends on your particular taste. Some people lean more toward a contrasting color scheme and some toward a complimenting.

The golden butterfly, in my opinion, would end up really orange with a honey or amber onyx backsplash. The golden oak would look good. You may also want to take a look at colombo gold, madura gold, or calypso gold granites. Any of them would compliment a honey or amber onyx backsplash.

Hope that helps.

The problem you are having is due to the light transmission through the sides of the tile. When you add grout, of any color, you will considerably diminish the amount of light entering into the individual tile. Since onyx, especially honey onyx, is highly translucent removing any of the light will mute the natural color. To maintain the color of the stone you want to allow as much light transmission as possible through the sides of the stone.

Clear caulk is an alternative but I would not use it. It will still mute the stone’s translucence to an extent and caulk is not made, nor recommended, for that application. Think about the clear bead of silicone in a shower or bathtub. Once the airtight seal of the two materials (such as the tile and acrylic of the tub) is broken and moisture gets behind it, this leads to mold and all types of unsavory things you don’t want in your kitchen backsplash.

The two alternatives that I have used are either a regular epoxy, the two part glue, that cures clear, or what is called “knife grade” liquid polyester. The latter can be found at a specialty art store and places such as that. It is used in casting and fabrication processes. Hope that helps.

Thanks
Mike