Chandeliers have distinct qualities that could make rooms appear vibrant and classy. Since they are commonly hooked up on ceilings, they can easily catch the attention and interest of visitors. Today's chandeliers are constructed from a whole range of materials like antlers, metals such as brass and wrought iron chandeliers, plastic as well as gemstones. However, chandeliers made from crystal pieces remain as one of the most popular ceiling accents.

A crystal is a transparent mineral that looks like ice and is acknowledged for its extreme brilliance and optical purity. The brilliant characteristic of such gemstone comes from the refraction of light that passes through a prism--the same phenomenon that causes rainbow formation. Because of the beautiful aesthetics of crystal, it has since been used as decorative accent throughout history ranging from jewelries to contemporary chandeliers. It has also been used for healing and promotion of overall wellness.

The earliest recorded crystal chandeliers were utilized in the 16th century and were made from rock crystal pieces. In 17th century Baroque period, crystal artisans perfected the craft of cutting rock crystal pieces for chandeliers, and on the near end of this century in France the first crystal glass chandeliers were developed. It was in the small island of Murano that the first chandeliers made entirely from crystal glasses were manufactured, and the process eventually spread in nearby countries like 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 are going to purchase chandeliers made from crystal, it is important for you to know the crystal options you have. This way you won't have trouble shopping for chandeliers, since you already have an idea what would best suit your rooms. Below are the types of crystal stones often used for chandeliers along with 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. On the other hand, heritage hand cut crystal pieces, as their name implies, are laboriously hand crafted by artisans through two cutting stages""iron and sandstone wheeling. After the crystal has been iron and sandstone wheeled, it is then hand-polished through the help of a wood-wheel sprinkled with marble dust, which in turn leaves traces of wood wheel to the stone that actually serves as the gem's mark of authenticity.

Rock crystal pieces are natural quartz that have been used since ancient periods, and are known for their formational process that takes millions of years, which in turn gives them their irregular shapes. 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. Overall, crystal chandeliers, regardless of the crystal types used, are elegant and highly functional ceiling furnishings that could leave great aesthetic impressions among visitors and homeowners.

Contemporary chandeliers are all the rage in home interior designs today especially crystal chandeliers that are acknowledged for their brilliance and ability to retract light efficiently. Because of this, more and more homeowners prefer having chandeliers made from crystal pieces inside their living spaces, and their design choices may range from simple wrought iron chandeliers with crystal pieces to grandiose sterling crystal ceiling accents.