Know your Murano from your Tiffany: A primer on chandeliers

Be it a work of understated elegance or a piece of spectacular brilliance, a chandelier reflects inimitable class, refinement, extravagance, and even heritage. Murano and Tiffany chandeliers are popular choices when it comes to chandelier selection for the home. However, there can be no comparison between the two types of chandeliers, given that they are so completely different in appearance, design, production technique and their place in history.

How do you tell a Murano from a Tiffany? First off, Murano chandeliers are glass crystal chandeliers whereas a Tiffany is a stained glass chandelier. Murano chandeliers are based on a style of glassmaking that goes all the way back to the early 13^th century, and trace their origins to the ancient Venetian glass industry. Tiffany chandeliers are of a more recent origin, going back to the late 19^th century in New York.

What makes Murano chandeliers different?

Murano chandeliers combine ancient glassblowing techniques with traditional craftsmanship to create artistic glassworks that are unique masterpieces in their own right. 

Some of the most delicate chandeliers in the world would no doubt, have a Murano connection. Murano chandeliers are made from soda crystal, unlike lead crystal used in conventional chandelier designs. The extraordinarily light soda crystal can be worked on for a longer time, allowing the glassmaker to twist and shape the glass into graceful forms so unique to the Murano style of glassmaking.

Traditional Murano chandeliers would feature intricate arabesques of leaves and flowers with colored glass incorporated into the design to lend a distinctive touch. The elaborate designs require the glassmaker to invest carefully honed skills and long hours for perfect execution of each piece. In fact, small imperfections in a finished piece can help the buyer tell a fake one from a genuine Murano chandelier.

The techniques used in crafting the magnificent Murano glass chandeliers have evolved over the centuries driven by influences and trends of the time. For instance, the 17^th century saw innovations in Murano glass from the strong Baroque trends sweeping European art and architecture. Bright colors, intricate designs, and floral and animal motifs became popular during this period.

Murano chandeliers designed in the late 1900s reflected avant-garde and art nouveau styles, a trend that continued well into the 20^th century as more Murano artisans embraced these techniques. Art deco featuring simpler, cleaner and more functional styles took over in the 1920s.

The colorful history of Tiffany chandeliers

Louis Comfort Tiffany, from the famous New York-based Tiffany Jewelers family chose a different career path by setting up Tiffany Studios. He is credited with introducing a signature collection of lamps that till today go by the name of ‘Tiffany lamps’. First introduced in the market in 1895, Tiffany lamps refer to a style of lamp that features lamp shades made using handcrafted, lead and blown stained glass. The handcrafted design results in imperfections, which actually point to their authenticity.

Beginning with lamps, this colorful style of glassmaking was extended to a complete range of lighting fixtures including chandeliers, wall sconces, pendant lights, desk lamps and floor lamps.

Tiffany lamp designs are influenced heavily by nature, with the floral motif coming across as a common pattern, complete with intricate leaves, petals and branches. Antique Tiffany lamp shades typically come in two designs: The first has the floral motif all over the shade while the second has the floral design along the belt of the shade with the rest of the area covered with geometric and organic shapes.

Some of the iconic designs to come out of Tiffany Studios include the dragonfly, wisteria, the Tyler scroll, nautilus and lily.

Louis Tiffany was also inspired by the use of color, adding as many as seven colors to molten glass to get the colored glass effect without having to paint it. The stained glass pieces were then fused together with copper foil to create complex but stunning designs that came to be associated with luxury and class.

The term ‘Tiffany’ is today used generically for a style of lighting fixture featuring stained glass lamp shades. A décor tip when using a Tiffany stained glass chandelier is to match the colors of the upholstery and walls with the colors of the stained glass. Available with uplights as well as downlights, Tiffany chandeliers look best with low wattage lamps and are ideal for ambient lighting, infusing both color and light into the living space.

Though Tiffany-style lamps are widely available today, Tiffany originals are rare since the studio shut down production in the 1930s. Once made for the wealthy, original Tiffany lamps and chandeliers can only be found in private collections and heritage buildings.

GoldenAgeUSA.com showcases an exclusive range of chandeliers including a huge collection of Murano and Tiffany chandeliers in a wide choice of sizes, styles and finishes.