Monday, April 2, 2007

Classicism in Crystal Chandeliers

Have you ever felt being regal by just staring at a crystal chandelier? I would say that crystal chandeliers exude elegance to whatever place it's mounted on. The underlying beauty in it is the feeling of being part of a royal family and seeing the exquisite beauty it radiates. Wouldn't it be nice to hang a chandelier in your own home?

Several modern crystal chandeliers are often very ornate with dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass shapes to illuminate the room in many intricate patterns. More often, you can observe such from a five star hotel or from homes of wealthy families. Buying a crystal chandelier could be of a luxury to any average family but to some filthy rich people it is their pride to expose the grandeur of their house. The fixture's popularity has been a status symbol from the 15th century up to this point of time. No average family could ever afford to buy this lighting fixture for the purpose of illuminating their house. Not to mention that crystal chandeliers are use to efficiently lighten up large halls during medieval period. They were used in medieval churches and abbeys.

Way back in 15th century, chandeliers based on ring and crown designs began to become popular decorative features. This paved the way to the status symbol in every society. By early 18th century, chandeliers made of ornate cast brass flourished among the house of merchant classes, also development of glass making during this time lead to the production of cheaper lead crystal. The light scattering properties of this highly refractive glass became more prominent which piloted the production of crystal chandeliers. Through out the years more complex and elaborate ceiling fixtures continued to develop until the widespread introduction of gas and eventually electrical lighting which devalued the traditional form of its lighting appeal.

Towards the end of 20th century, crystal chandeliers were used as a decorative focal point to any room, which defeated the purpose of illuminating large rooms. Now, the world's biggest crystal chandelier is located in Dolmabahce Palace, Turkey. It was a gift from Britain to His Imperial Majesty, The Emperor of the Ottomans.

This majestic charm of crystal chandelier is attracting people to decorate their houses with grandiosity. Currently, you can have a variety of different designs of these ceiling fixtures being sold in the market. Your taste would actually depend on how you would like to exude classicism on your own house. You may want to have it made from crystal, wrought iron, brass and others. To find the right style chandelier for your home, simply begin with a color or a material that is predominant in the decoration scheme of the room. What catches your eye in the room? What type of statement do you want to make? If the room is more traditional, choose crystal chandeliers with more ornamentation and decorative details. If your home is modern, opt for less ornamentation and simpler details.

But be reminded that in choosing your chandeliers make sure that it blends with the design and paintings of your house.

About the Author

Article Author Eliza Maledevic from http://www.Jump2top.com, a SEO Company. Know more about Crystal Chandeliers & Lighting Fixtures at http://www.goldenageusa.com