Baccarat Chandeliers and Pendants

In 1764, in response to requests from local landowners, France’s King Louis XV gave his royal consent for opening a glassworks in the small town of Baccarat. Not long after its founding, the glassworks factory became Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat, maker of some of the finest glass objects in the world — among them an extraordinary range of chandeliers.

While glass chandeliers were quite popular lighting fixtures for palatial homes in the 19th century, Baccarat chandeliers were different from the rest of the world’s supply. The Baccarat artisans mixed glass with nickel oxide during the manufacturing process, which made for a perfectly clear rock crystal imitation. In order for a work of glass to be deemed “crystal,” its chemical composition needs to contain no less than 24 percent lead oxide. Owing to distinct processes like these, Baccarat chandeliers and pendants — as well as the company’s decorative objects, serveware and other glass pieces — were soon prized as symbols of wealth all over the world.

Among the most desirable Baccarat chandeliers are those that see an integration of gilt bronze, specifically, gilt-bronze-mounted cherubs, in its crystal glass creations. For these late-19th-century fixtures, as well as clear crystal decorative vases and other objects that feature sculptural figures made from the alloy, Baccarat collaborated with sculptors such as Hippolyte François Moreau.

Today, Baccarat chandeliers are still created by hand by renowned French craftsmen and are disassembled and packaged in foam and wood when they are ready to be shipped, as the fixtures are far too fragile to be shipped whole.

Browse a broad range of exquisite Baccarat chandeliers and pendants now on 1stDibs.