Chandeliers have distinct qualities that could make rooms appear vibrant and classy. Because they are commonly hanged on ceilings, they have the power to draw the attention of visitors and passers-by. Chandeliers of today can now be made from a variety of materials such as deer antlers, metals like brass and wrought iron chandeliers, plastic and even precious gemstones. But, chandeliers accented with crystal pieces are probably the most popular ceiling decorations among many homeowners.

A crystal is a mineral or glass resembling ice known for its brilliance and optical purity. The brilliant quality of this mineral is produced from the refraction of light that passes through its prism, which is a similar phenomenon that produce rainbows. Because of its aesthetic appeal, crystal pieces have long been used since ancient times until today as decorative items like jewelries and contemporary chandeliers. It is also acknowledged for its healing properties.

The earliest known crystal chandeliers were used during 16th century and were accented with rock crystal pieces that are irregular in shape. During Baroque period of 17th century, crystal artisans perfected cutting rock crystal pieces for chandeliers, and it was during the later parts of that same period that the first crystal glass chandeliers were made in France. Chandeliers entirely constructed from crystal glasses were first manufactured in Murano and has become widespread in Bohemia, England, Spain and Ireland. Since then, the designs of crystal pieces have profoundly changed over the years to befit specific room types.

The crystal stones used for contemporary chandeliers are either manually cut or machine cut. If you intend to buy chandeliers made from crystal pieces, it would be preferable to know first what crystal options you have. This way you would be able to find the ones that would best complement your rooms. Written below are the crystal types used for chandeliers and their descriptions.

First in the list is the Strass Swarovski crystal that is originally manufactured in the Austrian Alps and is considered as the world's finest crystal type, known for its brilliant and flawless qualities. Crystal chandeliers constructed from these gemstones may come as plain or with differing colors, and could cost an arm and a leg. Heritage hand cut crystal pieces on the other hand, are hand-crafted by artisans using two cutting stages""iron and sandstone wheeling. After the said processes, the crystal is then hand-polished using a wood-wheel sprinkled with marble dust, leaving faint traces of wood wheeling which serves as a mark of authenticity of such crystal.

Rock crystal pieces are natural quarts used since times, and usually takes millions of years to form, which gives them their irregular forms. These raw pieces are all cut, grind and polished by hand; hence, a piece would take about a week to be finished. On the other hand, legacy crystal pieces are manufactured from Venice and are polished through fire instead of cutting which adds to the gems' luminosity and brilliance, while vintage pieces are the ones that appear like antique jewelries accentuated with beads and other precious stones. Generally, crystal chandeliers are truly remarkable as the light they emit are bright and their aesthetic are easy to the eye.