Tiffany lights, a great source of decorative lighting, are now available in many styles, shapes, sizes, colors, and methods of construction. There are traditional, mission, and contemporary styles, there are tiffany fixtures designed for over dining room or kitchen tables, others for over kitchen islands or pool tables, and still others for in hallways or stairwells, and tiffany lamps that would suit; living rooms, bedrooms, or even office desks. Sizes could vary from a small 6" diameter bedside lamp to a 60" oval pool table tiffany. As far as colors go they're always keeping up with the latest trends. The three most common methods of construction are:

"Copper Foil"- (the traditional method popularized by Mr. Tiffany) - the pieces of glass are wrapped in copper foil and soldered together. The copper foil appears as thin black lines between the glass panels, look for thin consistent; soldering.

"Brass Channel"- a "U" shaped channel of; solid brass is wrapped around the glass panels and then soldered together. The brass channel doesn't bend as easy, so the cut of glass tends to have more straight lines with only gentle curves. The soldering is usually on the inside, sometimes only at the corners where the glass panels meet other times along the entire length of the glass panel. The brass channel is usually left unfinished and the soldering may or may not be painted brass.

"Lead Channel"- a "H" shaped channel of lead is easily bent around the glass panels and then soldered together. Seeing that the lead channel bends easier than the brass channel more intricate designs are possible at a less labor intensive price as the copper foil style tiffany. After the tiffany is assembled it is then plated (usually brass plated) and sprayed with a clear lacquer paint to keep the finish looking new.

Stained Glass

        Stained glass as an art form is the arrangement of different colored glass panes held in place by narrow lead strips and enclosed in a metal framework. Stained glass became a major part of Gothic church architecture. Earlier churches had flat walls covered with mural paintings or mosaics. In Gothic construction ribs and shafts freed walls from bearing much of the building's weight, allowing stained glass to be used as a kind of translucent mural. Although the use of colored glass in windows began in Roman times, the technique now known as stained glass is an invention of the 9th and 10th centuries. In the 19th century renewed interest in the Gothic period led to the restoration of existing monuments and the building of new churches in the Gothic style. At the end of that century, Louis Comfort Tiffany had made stained glass a popular form of interior decoration.

Tiffany, Louis Comfort

        (1848-1933), Stained-glass artist, born in New York City; son of Charles Louis Tiffany; invented Tiffany favrile glass and popularized stained glass for interior use. The "Tiffany Lamp" was named after him.

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