5 Types of Crystal Chandeliers Explained

While any chandelier can give a house a lot of points for beauty, nothing highlights the elegance of a home more than crystal chandeliers. Crystal is ideal for those who seek elegance and old-world charm in their homes. Crystal chandeliers are valued for the warm light they give off and appealing illumination they provide. Since these lighting fixtures can be very expensive, it is important to know what styles to choose from that will suit your needs.

Rock Crystal Chandeliers

The crystal on this type of chandeliers takes millions of years to form since they are naturally occurring. Since they are naturally occurring, rock crystals have to be mined for use. Since they are rare, rock crystals are a prize among collectors. The raw crystals are meticulously cut and polished by skilled gem cutters, thus, adding further value to this type of crystal. This type of chandelier creates a mysterious coolness and ancient look on the environment surrounding it.

Hand Cut Crystal Chandeliers

This type of crystal chandelier boasts of crystal cut by master craftsmen. The uniqueness of the crystal is limited only by what the buyer specifies as the cut worthy to be on the chandelier. Some uses heritage method wherein the crystals undergo certain cuts through iron and sandstone wheel. Others use optical crystals wherein they use certain modern equipment which is remarkably refractive.

Legacy Crystal Chandeliers

While most crystals are cut, the Venetian Legacy crystal that goes on this type of chandelier are molded and then fire polished. These crystals are also prized for their unique almost-antique appeal. Nowadays, this type of crystal are preferred by most designers because of its more genuine appeal

Vintage Crystal Chandeliers

This type of crystal chandelier is adorned with antique crystal pieces. You can normally find this type of chandelier in antique stores. The charm of vintage crystal chandeliers usually comes from the unique vintage jewelry inspired pieces that go with it. You will also normally find a mix of vintage crystal and beads in this type of crystal chandelier.

Swarovski Crystal Chandeliers

Since Daniel Swarovski of Austria ventured into crystal and gem cutting in the 1800s, the Swarovski Company had thrived and is now the recognized leader in “optically pure” glass crystal. The brand Swarovski is known for crystal chandelier pieces that are cut like fine jewelry. The crystals are available in many colors such as silver, gold, and other crystal colors with mirror-like quality.

The elegance of crystals relies mainly on how they are cut and their clarity. Clarity is a good judge since any loss of such will immediately tell you of impurities in the crystal. The cut will determine how the light will shine through the crystal thus giving its unique sparkle whenever the light hits it. Other defects like bubbles and scratches will also affect the crystal quality.