What is a Chandelier?

A chandelier is a type of light fixture that is made to hang above a room from a chain or a rope. It usually has arms, upon which are fixed lights, crystals, ornaments, or any number of other things meant to create and refract light.

Chandeliers are usually decorative in nature, but are also functional in the way that they do provide light for a room. Some chandeliers are as simple as a wooden cross with spikes in it to hold candles, while some are so complex that they hold hundreds of bulbs, contain thousands of crystals, and may even contain precious gems, such as diamonds, emeralds, or other things of that nature. Chandeliers have been around since the medieval times, in which they were used to light places of assembly.

Today, chandeliers may be used to light anything from a dining room to a banquet hall, including the plug in chandeliers, such as those from Universal Lighting or Royce Lighting. Some are extremely extravagant, while others are quite simple. You can pick up a simple chandelier at your local hardware store, though you may need to have one crafted specially if you want it exquisitely lavish or expensive.

One of the largest Chandeliers ever built was a large Bohemian crystal chandelier that was a gift from Queen Victoria. It is located now in the Domanbahce Palace in Istanbul. It holds 750 lamps, and weighs in at a monstrous 4 and a half tons! Chandeliers have decreased in popularity with the advent of electrical lighting, however, as it has devalued the original role of illumination provided by the chandelier.

Nowadays, chandeliers are almost completely decorative. They might provide lighting, but this is often not the primary function of the piece. They are usually used to mark the focal point of a room, such as over the main table in the dining room.