How Do You Identify Old Crystal Chandeliers?
According to Jutta-Arnette Page, curator of the European Collection at the Corning Museum of Glass at New York, crystal chandeliers have been around since the creation of lead-based glass in the seventeenth century. Identifying the age, style and manufacturer can be a trying process, but well worth the effort, since your old crystal chandelier could be worth anywhere between $200 and $30,000. Discover who made your crystal chandelier. Examine your crystal chandelier for maker marks, also known as hallmarks. Even the earliest makers of crystal chandeliers wanted to be sure that their work would be identifiable. If you are able to find the mark, take a photo of it and go to the library. There are reference books full of different markings that you can search through until you find the maker of your chandelier. Examine your chandelier. Antique crystal chandeliers have bases and arms that are made of crystal, bronze, antlers and brass. Any material that is plated is not antique. Electric c