The chandelier has an elaborate history. Once used by Monks in the Abbeys of medieval churches, the chandeliers, as we think of them now, are ornate works of art with stunning crystal pieces to give the lamp its well-known glimmer.
Originally, adding mirrors or bits of metal near the flickering candle created the first attempts of shine. Eventually quartz crystals were affixed to extend the light source. Quartz was extremely troublesome to work with as it could not be molded or formed into usable pieces without cracking or breaking.
Pressed glass was an early solution, but because of the drab color of the stone it did little to enhance the light. The man attributed with perfected crystal glass is George Ravenscroft. In 1676 he had the brilliant notion to add oxidized lead to the glass as he was working with it. This addition made the pieces of glass much more malleable and conducive to light.
By the early 1700’s hand or mouth blown oxidized glass was being added to chandeliers in the Venetian islands. The intricate and delicate glass became known as Venetian glass. A century later Daniel Swarovsky patented a machine that would perfectly create glass stones. He used these stones on chandeliers and gifted them to the elite around the world.
Now the crystal chandelier is reinterpreted year after year. Styles range from the ridiculously baroque to the more subdued works created in the art-deco era. It has become more obtainable and can be found as prized works of art in many homes.
November 20th, 2006 by Webmaster
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