Starting in the 15th century, artisans started to create complex and ornate chandeliers from ring and crown designs, and they started to sell their work to merchants, the clergy, the nobility, and other wealthy classes. These chandeliers were so complex and ornate that only very wealthy people could afford them. Consequently, it was very rare to find chandeliers and chandelier shades outside of wealthy homes and palaces, such as the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, which houses the world’s largest Bohemian crystal chandelier, a massive artifact that has 750 lamps and weighs about 4.5 tons. These facts suggest that the chandelier was far too expensive for ordinary citizens. In fact, it was a gift from Queen Victoria! However, starting in the 20th century, chandeliers and chandelier shades became so affordable and simple that ordinary citizens could acquire them. They no longer needed to wait for royalty to grace them with chandeliers! Instead, they could go to chandelier stores and select chandeliers and chandelier shades from hundreds of varieties of shapes, sizes, and finishes. The classic light design which has been a perennial favorite for hundreds of years, although many people like to augment this simple design with decorative chandelier shades or bead shade night lights. Many people like the beaded night light shade because of its simple beauty.
