One might guess that the word chandelier is of French origin, but how many know the word's true meaning and origin? The term comes from the Old French word "chandelle." Sounds a bit like candle, doesn't it? In fact, it translates to "tallow candle." Before the modern crystal pendant lighting we associate with chandeliers came about, the church and contemporary home lighting fixtures were fashioned out of wood, lighted with candles attached to small prickets and suspended by ropes to illuminate large rooms.

Out of these simple devices arose more complex lights, such as the Murano-style glass chandeliers. With that development on the books, could crystal pendant lighting be far behind? The 18th and 19th centuries witnessed the development of more ornate Victorian architecture and decor, and a boom in chandelier production and popularity.

Handcrafted Home Lighting Fixtures

The advent of gaslights and electric dealt an enormous blow to the chandelier as an art form, but modern designers like the creative team responsible for the piece you see at Kingdomlightingusa.com are constantly finding ways to craft them attractively for electric light,yet preserve the vintage appearance. We manufacture our own in-house designs so we can bring you interior home lighting fixtures of the finest quality at factory-direct discount pricing.

Trivia: The world's largest chandelier measures 26 1/4 feet in diameter and weighs in a whopping 8 1/2 tons. The fixture, which hangs in the Grand Mosque in Oman, is 46 feet long and is adorned with Swarovski crystals and 1,200 halogen lamps. It is so massive that stairs and platforms for maintenance workers are incorporated into the structure. Talk about taking chandeliers to new heights!