Taking Care Of A Glass Lamp Shade As An Extended Investment

Glass light shades are used in two ways: one is merely decorative, the other is a long term investment. It is not surprising to find glass lamp shades used as decoration because of their distinctive, noticeable quality. A turn-of-century bankers lamp shade is a good example. However, most people do not realize that glass lamp shades are also items of fine art which can be collected. When these shades are broken, the owner should do one of two things. He or she can commission a replica from a glass maker, or undergo the harder art of restoration.

Some glass light shades are simple in that they do not contain supplementary components such as cemented or chain beads, mica parts, and have a fairly regular shape. Beaded lamp shades are quite common. These can be recreated by a good glass blower. The key will be to select the right colors for the glass which itself is an art. Glass making is a common art form and one should be able to find an expert who can remake simple or moderately complex glass shades. The cost will depend on the skill of the artisan.

However, a glass light shade is complicated by the fact that it is not one piece of glass. Some are composed of multiple, heterogeneously shaped pieces held together by solder or metal pieces. These will require the help of a restorer. The costs will usually include not only the skills of a restorer, but also the attendant materials. Many art light shades require the skills of a restorer and not merely a glass maker.

The restoration process can be as simple as removing one damaged pane of glass and replacing it with an identical one. This is made difficult by the fact that it is hard to find exactly matching glass and is one reason for the expense. The glass has to match in both color, texture and thickness. In fact, it may be that the replacement looks too good and the restorer in fact has to replace all of the glass panes at once to maintain a uniform look.

The metallic parts of the light shade will require some basic metal working. Metallic foil such as brass or gold are often used to line the edges of glass panes in Tiffany shades which enhances their visual aesthetics. All of these new additions need to match the old in terms of color, texture, thickness, which no doubt is a long-term, lengthy process.

The owner who restores his glass light shades will extract many benefits. One is that he or she can now display the lamp shade again as a decorative object. Another is that the value of what is likely a valuable family heirloom is preserved by the restoration process.