1. The earliest chandeliers were used in Medieval assembly halls and generally had wooden spikes holding candles in place.
2. There's an early 19th-century French cut glass and ormolu chandelier in the Green Room of the White House.
3. The world's largest crystal chandelier is located in a palace in Istanbul. The chandelier has 750 lamps and weighs 4.5 tons.
4. Today, the chandelier is mostly a decorative piece rather than a functional one as it was historically.
5. Venetian style chandeliers often feature Murano glass, a glass made on the island of Murano, Venice.
6. Venetian style chandeliers can also feature soda glass, which can be shaped into elegant shapes, like flowers and curving leaves.
7. In the 15th century, more complex chandeliers, in ring and crown designs, became popular.
8. There is a famous chandelier in the musical and novel The Phantom of the Opera located in the Opera Garnier.
9. Chandeliers initially became popular because their reflective qualities spread light better than candles or more traditional fixtures.
10. The word 'chandelier' comes from the French word 'chandelle' which means candle.
11. Galileo Galilei was the first person to create a pendulum chandelier after he saw one swinging in the Pisa Cathedral.
12. Some of the most high-end chandeliers use the fanciest crystals and prisms available: Baccarat, Swarovski and Schonbek included.
13. Chandeliers come in hundreds of styles, including some more modern ones like art deco, arts and crafts and art nouveau.
14. Many designers consider chandeliers one-of-a-kind pieces of art.
15. Original chandeliers had candles made of animal fat rather than wax such as in today's candles.
16. In the 18th century, lead crystal became one of the most popular choices for chandeliers, which eventually led to the more modern crystal chandelier.
17. If you plan to install your chandelier in a huge room, the more ornate, the better.
18. If you want to mix up your design style, a crystal chandelier used in a modern decorating scheme is a good way to do it.
19. Some current trends in chandelier style are ornate French styles, ivory and glass shades and chandeliers with a 1950s flair.
20. When you install your chandelier, install a dimmer, too. You won't regret it.
