Val Saint Lambert Shell

For almost 200 years, Val Saint Lambert of Seraing, Belgium, has produced some of the most elegant and prestigious works of crystal and glass. Holding the distinction of being the world’s only Belgian glassworks, Val Saint Lambert creates exquisite items including ashtrays, serveware, vases and sculptures. 

Founded by chemist François Kemlin and engineer Auguste Lelièvre, the company opened its first glassworks in 1826. Its quality manufacturing of heavy-lead crystal and the expert craftsmanship of its wares quickly led to the company’s popularity. 

In 1894, Val Saint Lambert exhibited its geometric-cut crystal at the World’s Fair in Antwerp, Belgium. The central piece was “le Vase des Neuf Provinces,” or “The Vase of the Nine Provinces.” Under the direction of French glassmaker Léon Ledru, it took 30 artisans over 2,000 hours to fashion it from 85 individually crafted pieces. The exposure led to Val Saint Lambert becoming the primary crystal used by the Tsars of Russia and the company’s pieces being sold internationally.

That same year, the company crafted two immense crystal chandeliers for the Maharaja of Gwalior to hang in his palace in India. Weighing almost five tons each and measuring over 42 feet high, they were the largest crystal chandeliers in the world at the time.

The company closed its doors for the duration of World War I but soon reopened. By 1926, it had over 5,000 employees and had a growing demand for its pieces made in the Art Deco style.

During World War II, bombing from German and Allied forces destroyed the main glassworks facility. The company rebuilt, but by 1950, crystal was becoming more of a household item and less of a luxury good. 

In the subsequent decades, Val Saint Lambert collaborated with notable names to expand its offerings with sophisticated furniture, including work with Philippe Starck and Frans Van Praet. In 1992, Van Praet designed the famed Sevilla chair for Val Saint Lambert, a piece highly prized by collectors and designers.

In 2014, Belgian manufacturer Jacques Somville took over Val Saint Lambert. In 2018, Belgian entrepreneur George Arthur Forrest acquired the majority of the company. Val Saint Lambert continues to make some of the finest glass and crystal wares in the world.

Find Val Saint Lambert lighting, seating and decorative objects on 1stDibs.

The right table lamp, outwardly sculptural chandelier or understated wall pendant can work wonders for your home. While we’re indebted to thinkers like Thomas Edison for critically important advancements in lighting and electricity, we’re still finding new ways to customize illumination to fit our personal spaces all these years later. A wide range of antique and vintage lighting can be found on 1stDibs.

Today, lighting designers like the self-taught Bec Brittain have used the flexible structure of LEDs to craft glamorous solutions by working with what is typically considered a harsh lighting source. By integrating glass and mirrors, reflection can be used to soften the glow from LEDs and warmly welcome light into any space.

Although contemporary innovators continue to impress, some of the classics can’t be beat. 

Just as gazing at the stars allows you to glimpse the universe’s past, vintage chandeliers like those designed by Gino Sarfatti and J. & L. Lobmeyr, for example, put on a similarly stunning show, each with a rich story to tell.

As dazzling as it is, the Arco lamp, on the other hand, prioritizes functionality — it’s wholly mobile, no drilling required. Designed in 1962 by architect-product designers Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, the piece takes the traditional form of a streetlamp and creates an elegant, arching floor fixture for at-home use.

There is no shortage of modernist lighting similarly prized by collectors and casual enthusiasts alike — there are Art Deco table lamps created in a universally appreciated style, the Tripod floor lamp by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Greta Magnusson Grossman's sleek and minimalist Grasshopper lamps and, of course, the wealth of mid-century experimental lighting that emerged from Italian artisans at Arredoluce, FLOS and many more are hallmarks in illumination innovation. 

With decades of design evolution behind it, home lighting is no longer just practical. Crystalline shaping by designers like Gabriel Scott turns every lighting apparatus into a luxury accessory. A new installation doesn’t merely showcase a space; carefully chosen ceiling lights, table lamps and floor lamps can create a mood, spotlight a favorite piece or highlight your unique personality.

The sparkle that your space has been missing is waiting for you amid the growing collection of antique, vintage and contemporary lighting for sale on 1stDibs.