Is Installing an Antique Chandelier Hard

So now that you have finally decided to purchase an antique french chandelier you are probably wondering just how difficult it is to install an antique french chandelier. Your probably wondering this because you see some companies charging lots of money to install your chandelier for you. You are probably wondering if you can install the chandelier yourself and save a boatload of money so here we will take a look at the difficulties in installing an antique chandelier.

Installing Antique French Chandelier

Now we should take a look at all the possible obstacles you'll run into when installing your chandelier.

1. One of the first problems you'll probably discover is that the chandelier is obviously pretty heavy. When you have an almost four foot base made out of brass or iron then things are bound to become pretty heavy. Then when you add a couple hundred dangling crystal pendants then the antique chandelier can get pretty darn heavy. So installing it on your ceiling can be pretty risky especially when you roof may not be up to the job of holding up your chandelier. I'm sure you've seen movies of when a chandelier falls from the ceiling just inches of crushing someone I'm sure you don't want this happening to you when installing your brand new antique french chandelier.

2. The next problem you may run into is exactly how the chandelier is suppose to be installed. Some chandelier's installation method is relatively easy to figure out however some have you drilling multiple holes in the ceiling you should be sure that you understand exactly how to install it before doing so as you don't want to have multiple holes in your ceiling from failed installation attempts.

How Much Do Antique Chandeliers Cost?

Now the cost of antique chandeliers varies heavily on exactly what type and size of chandelier you want to purchase. For example a single tiered chandelier will generally cost less than a chandelier with multiple tiers. The material a chandelier is made out of will also have a huge impact on the overall price of that chandelier. If you buy an antique brass chandelier it will have a very different price from that of an antique iron chandelier.

How to Determine the Price of a Chandelier

There are many factors that you must consider when making a purchase on your antique chandelier. You must determine the quality of the chandelier first and foremost. For if the chandelier is broken and rusted its price will be much much less than if it was brand new. You must inspect it and be sure there are no loose screws or broken pendants as this will affect the value of the chandelier. You should also inspect the material it is made out of and the condition that material is in. As I said before whether you have a chandelier foundation made out of brass, iron, or even gold will effect the price of the chandelier paramountly so you must be sure to look at it. The material the pendants are made out of will also have a huge impact on the overall price of the chandelier. If the pendants are made out of glass it will be of the least value. It it is made out of quartz then it is of a slightly higher quality making it a high price because quartz is much harder to cut than glass. Finally if you are a real high roller there could be pendants made out of diamon. Since diamon is so hard and difficult to cut and of course rare this chandelier will be worth the most money.

Iron Chandelier

Most chandeliers you come across will be made out of brass or copper to give it a very metallic look however every now and then you will come across an iron chandelier. Now it is important to say that you will not find many antique french chandeliers that are made out of iron usually you will come across brass chandeliers however some people enjoy the cool dull color that iron chandeliers give off as oppose to their shiny cousins. However, if purchasing an iron chandelier be sure that you keep it in good condition in a very dry area or you may find your self dealing with rusting on your iron chandelier.

Antique Iron Chandeliers

Iron chandeliers have been around for some time, because of the microscopic make up of iron it is a little bit stronger than brass which makes it a very good substitute to brass to make a chandelier out of. Iron Chandeliers rarely have to be repaired because of damage to them because they are so strong.
However depending on the purity of the iron the price of the chandelier will vary for iron chandelier. It if is 100% iron with little to no impurities then the price will be much higher that that of a chandelier made with "dirtier" iron.  But again you must be sure the iron chandelier does not rust at all for if it does then your iron chandelier will no longer have a gray metallic color but it will turn a nasty greenish blue. Rust can also destroy the value of your chanedlier as rust is very hard to remove from an metal but especially from a chandelier because you must be careful not to damage the pendants crystals that are hanging from the chandelier. SO hopefully this post will better help you decide whether to purchase an antique iron chandelier or a brass chandelier.

Early French Chandeliers

My idea for writing this post was to give a history of French Chandeliers and how they developed over time. This will hopefully give you a better appreciation for the art of chandelier making and help convince you to purchase an authentic French Chandelier.

Early French Chandelier

Before we humans invented electricity the only form of lighting we had during night time was from fire and generally we used candles or lamps to do this. However a single candle does not do a very good job of lighting an entire room. This is where the ingenious idea of a chandelier came along. People started making wooden bases that could hold many candles or lamps. They would generally hang from the ceiling so the light could be spread out around the room. French Chandeliers were at first built out of necesity. However as people started to become wealthier chandelier became much more elegant and difficult to make. Soon people started placing the candles on iron/brass base and placed the candles or lamp wicks in them. Soon some chandeliers lost their light source and were only used for decoration and had no lighting purpose at all. Now you see elegant gold plated holders with quartz pendants dangling off it refracting all the light that passes through. Thats why antique french chandeliers are so prized.

Are There Diamond Pendant Chandeliers?

Yes, some people enjoy displaying their wealth so much that they invest in very extravegant chandeliers some made out of pure gold for the chandelier frame and the pendants are made out of diamonds.

Antique French Brass Chandelier

Know if you have been reading this website for a while you know about the different kind of french chandeliers that are out there. However have you heard about antique french brass chandeliers?

Antique French Brass Chandeliers

These types of chandeliers are made out of brass, which is usually looks a lot like gold. These chandeliers are very interesting as the brass reflects light very well making the pendants dangling from it shine with the light. These have been in production since the 1500's when brass was discovered. Again you must be sure this is the type of chandelier that you want hanging in your house so I will try to give you all the facts.

Antique French Brass Chandeliers Pros

As I said before these pieces are very cool and sometimes people really enjoy how the crystal pendants hang from the brass branches of the chandelier. These create very cool effects and the chandelier helps to part the light creating the entire color spectrum. Also if you keep to brass very clean it will have a metallic luster to it making it appear almost like gold.

Antique French Brass Chandeliers Cons

So now that you know the pros we need to talk about the cons. It you like a very clean and shiny chandelier then you must take very good care of this antique french chandelier as they have been known to rust. However some people love the old look that rust and color change gives these chandeliers. So that decision is up to you. Brass is also a very heavy metal so these chandelier tend to weight a whole lot, so be sure that your ceiling is up to the challenge of supporting this lighting fixture.

Well there you go, now the decision is yours on whether to buy a vintage antique chandelier or a more modern chandelier.

Contemporary French Chandeliers will vary very slightly from antique french chandeliers. As we know that french have been making chandeliers since the 12th century and how they have made them has not changed very much since them. So usually the only way to tell the difference between a antique and a modern chandelier is how shiny the metal is as usually older metal will begin to rust and become more dull.

Contemporary French Chandeliers

When decided whether or not to get a contemporary french chandelier you mush ask yourself many of the same questions you would ask when buying and antique chandelier as they are not very much different at all. You need to be sure that the room that your placing the chandelier in has plenty of ceiling space as these lighting fixtures tend to take up a lot of space. You must also ask yourself what kind of style you want. Chandeliers come in many shapes and sizes. You can have a huge one hanging over with many tiers of lighting or a relatively small one with a single tier of lights. All these are important questions to ask before purchasing a chandelier.

Antique French Chandeliers

Again I'm going to suggest you go with the antique french chandeliers. The modern french chandeliers may appear more shiny and glisten in the sun however they lack the history and character from antique vintage french chandeliers. You know that if you purchase an antique there is a story behind it and sometimes that story is just as interesting as the piece itself. So please take all of this into consideration before purchasing a chandelier.

Antique French Chandeliers are known for their very impressive quality and workmanship. These chandeliers are top of the line, unfortunately they are becoming harder and harder to find in good quality. The most famous of these french chandeliers is probably the one found hanging in the Green Room of the White house. Chandeliers are a great decoration to having hanging from the ceiling and depending on how many tiers you want may cause it to be relatively small or massive.

Antique Vintage French Chandeliers

Chandelier originally were extremely simply, usually nothing more than two wooden planks nailed together in an cross formation with candles on the end. However, as people became wealthier in the early 12th century home furnishing became more lavish. This caused an evolution of the chandelier. One of the first antique vintage french chandeliers that we know about was created by Louise the 14th who was a monarch over the French people, known for his huge sums of gold. This is how chandeliers have become synonomous to wealth and prosperity. There are many different kinds of antique chandeliers including antique french brass chandeliers or antique french iron chandeliers. However if you are looking to buy a chandelier for a room make sure the room has very high ceilings as hanging a large chandelier from the room may make the room seem much smaller than it actually is.

Vintage French Chandeliers

If you have decided that a chandelier is what you want in your room then be sure to know that style you want. Whether you want it to be a single tier, multiple tiers, or layered tiers. As always a french chandelier is going to be your best bet as these this well in any environment. You simply can't go wrong with them.
Thanks for reading all about Antique French Chandeliers!