Polished Brass · Hand-Strung Cut Crystal · French Empire
A French Empire crystal basket chandelier in the Louis XVI and Directoire vocabulary that defined American Beaux-Arts interiors. A polished brass corona tents graduated cut-crystal chains down into the signature basket silhouette, opens onto a double tier of candle arms, and resolves in a crystal-skirted lower dome.
Sand-cast and chased solid brass; lead-free crystal hand-cut and hand-strung in graduated drops. Polished brass under warm candle-bulb light is the period-correct pairing — sharp facet flash above, soft prismatic light below across a dining table or foyer floor. Offered in two estate-scale sizes.
Why This Fixture
Period-Correct Vocabulary
Tented crystal basket, double candle tier, and skirted dome — drawn directly from 19th-century French maisons de bronze catalogues.
Solid Brass & Lead-Free Crystal
Sand-cast and chased polished brass armature; hand-cut, hand-strung lead-free crystal in graduated drops.
Two Estate Scales
18-light Ø 41″ for primary dining and foyers; 22-light grand Ø 47″ for two-story foyers and hotel lobbies.
Choose Your Scale
18-Light · Ø 41″ (103 cm)
10 upper + 8 lower candles. H 48″ + 19.7″ chain. For dining rooms and primary foyers with 11–14 ft ceilings.
24-Light Grand · Ø 47″ (120 cm)
12 upper + 12 lower candles. H 48″ + 19.7″ chain. For two-story foyers, double-height great rooms, and hotel lobbies.
Hand-strung crystal — variation is character. Strand placement and dome composition vary subtly fixture to fixture. Default wiring is non-dimming; TRIAC-dimmable available on request before ordering.
Reinforced ceiling support required. Both sizes exceed standard junction-box load. Your electrician must anchor to a structural joist or install a UL-listed fixture brace. Contact us for confirmed shipping weight.
Product Notes
| Form | French Empire crystal basket chandelier · double candle tier · skirted lower dome |
| Material | Sand-cast and chased solid brass · hand-cut, hand-strung lead-free clear crystal |
| Finish | Polished brass with clear crystal · alternative finishes available as custom build |
| Sizes | 18-light · Ø 41″ × H 48″ (Ø 103 × 122 cm) 24-light grand · Ø 47″ × H 48″ (Ø 120 × 122 cm) |
| Hanging Chain | 19.7″ (50 cm) supplied · longer drop available on request |
| Light Source | 18 or 24 × E12 candelabra socket · bulbs not included |
| Recommended Bulb | E12 clear candle, 2700K, ≤ 25W LED equivalent · clear envelope essential for crystal flash |
| Dimming | Non-dimming standard · TRIAC-dimmable on request · Lutron-compatible |
| Voltage | 110–120V US standard · 220–240V on request |
| Certification | Designed to UL residential luminaire standards · ETL listing on request for commercial |
| Mounting | Hardwired ceiling pendant · canopy plate & chain supplied |
| SKU | RDC-180503 |
| Best For | Two-story foyer entries · double-height great rooms · grand dining rooms in 5,000+ sq ft estates · luxury hotel lobbies and presidential suites · fine-dining restaurants · members-club libraries · Federal, Greek Revival, Beaux-Arts, Châteauesque, and Second Empire historic-restoration projects |
| Trade & Project | Designer specification packets, trade pricing, and project-quantity coordination available — contact our trade desk |
Installation
- Licensed electrician required. Hardwired ceiling pendant via supplied canopy plate and chain.
- Specialist chandelier installer recommended. Crystal drops can shift during un-crating without proper handling.
- Confirm ceiling support. Both sizes exceed standard 25 kg / 55 lbs junction-box rating — UL-listed fixture brace or joist anchor required.
- Hang lower dome 30–34″ above dining table, or 7 ft+ above foyer floor in walking zones.
- Freight delivery. Crystal individually wrapped — plan unpacking time on installation day.
Downloads
Frequently Asked
Which size — 18-light or 24-light grand? +
Ceilings 11 ft and under, choose 18-light. Ceilings 14 ft+ or any two-story foyer, choose 24-light grand. For dining-table installs, chandelier diameter ≈ ½–⅔ of table width; hang the lower dome 30–34″ above the table top.
How heavy is it and what ceiling support do I need? +
Both sizes are solid-brass and fully strung in cut crystal — they exceed standard residential junction-box load (25 kg / 55 lbs). Your electrician must install a UL-listed heavy-duty fixture brace or anchor to a structural joist. For the 22-light on cathedral or two-story ceilings, structural-engineer review is recommended. Contact us for confirmed shipping weight.
What candle bulbs should I use? +
18 or 22 × E12 candelabra-base candle LEDs at 2700K, ≤ 25W incandescent-equivalent. Clear glass envelope is essential — frosted, cool-white, or globe-style bulbs flatten the crystal flash and are not recommended.
Is it dimmable? Lutron-compatible? +
Standard wiring is non-dimming. TRIAC-dimmable wiring is available as a custom build — please specify when contacting us. The TRIAC variant works with Lutron Caséta, Diva, and standard forward-phase dimmers; for RadioRA 3, HomeWorks QSX, or 0–10V systems specify the protocol on order. See our dimming protocols guide.
Can I get a longer chain or different finish? +
Yes — longer chain drops (36–60″) for two-story foyers available on request. Polished brass is the period-correct standard; antique brass, dark patinated bronze, French gilt, and silver-plated brass are quotable as custom builds. Contact us with project requirements before ordering.
Suitable for hospitality and historic-restoration projects? +
Yes — hospitality-grade. Solid-brass construction and period-correct French Empire silhouette suit luxury hotel lobbies, fine-dining restaurants, members-club libraries, and Federal, Greek Revival, Beaux-Arts, and Second Empire restoration projects. ETL listing available on request. Contact our trade desk for project-quantity coordination.
- Unique shape design
- Made responsibly
- High quality material
- Tested for durability
CARE
CARE
- Dust with a soft, dry cloth.
- To protect finish, we do not recommend the use of household cleaners or abrasives.
- Do not exceed specified wattage.
SHIPPING & RETURN POLICY
SHIPPING & RETURN POLICY
Enjoy free shipping on all products. With Front Door Delivery, your item ships from our Distribution Center via UPS within 2–3 business days and arrives at your home in 4–6 weeks. Eligible items may be returned within 30 days of receipt. Made-to-order items are not eligible for return.
10%
OFF
Use this code at checkout to enjoy a 10% discount on your entire purchase.
Every room has a soul piece.This is where it hangs.
Some lights fill a room; a very few define it. An American crystal chandelier is the second kind — the fixture guests look up at first, the one the whole space quietly arranges itself around.
Not your grandmother's chandelier — iron nerve, crystal grace.
French crystal whispers, traditional European crystal parades. American crystal does something else: it pairs a strong, honest metal frame with just enough sparkle — tailored, modern, and easy to live with.
A frame with a backbone.
Aged bronze and matte black — finishes borrowed from workshop and farmhouse, not from a palace. The metal draws clean, confident lines that keep the whole piece grounded and architectural.
Sparkle, rationed.
Crystal used the way a tailor uses a pocket square — a deliberate few, perfectly placed. Where European chandeliers drip with it, the American cut lets a handful of clean facets carry the whole effect.
The right size is a formula, not a gamble.
The #1 crystal-chandelier regret is scale — too big crowds the ceiling, too small gets lost. Use these designer rules of thumb and you can't miss.
The grand gesture. A tiered or cascading chandelier centered in the entry — visible from the door, the stairs, and the street after dark.
Where crystal earns its keep nightly — a linear piece over a long table or island, a round one over a round table, sparkling above every dinner.
The unexpected luxury. A compact or semi-flush crystal piece turns a bedroom ceiling — or a walk-in closet — into a small daily indulgence.
Three worries, retired.
Every crystal buyer arrives with the same three fears. Here they are — each answered in one breath.
It travels suspended in molded foam, every strand bagged — and if the carrier wins anyway, we replace damaged parts free.
A load-bearing canopy and complete hardware come in the box. Anchored to a joist or braced electrical box, it's up for decades.
A static duster keeps the sparkle; once a year, a mist of no-rinse crystal cleaner drips it back to brand-new. No disassembly, ever.
How it travels — every strand bagged, every arm cradled, nothing touching the box.
One fixture. The whole room, decided.
Brass-framed, crystal-dressed, and sized for everything from a walk-in closet to a two-story foyer. Find the one your ceiling has been waiting for — and if you're torn between two sizes, send us your room dimensions and we'll help you choose.
Fast Shipping
4-6 weeks for delivery
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Measuring for Pendant Lighting
When installing pendants and chandeliers, it’s important to consider how you want your fixtures to hang in relation to the other furnishings in your space. Read on for our recommendations on how to hang the perfect light.
Kitchen
Aim for 30–36″ from the bottom of your fixture’s shade to the top of your island or countertop. Space multiple pendants 26–30″ apart. For a sense of proportion and balance, allow 12″ from the outermost fixture to the edge of your counter.
Dining Room
For optimal lighting and visibility, the bottom of your pendant should sit 30″ from the surface of your dining table. To scale your fixture, take the length and width of the room in feet, then convert that to inches. For a 10′ by 14′ room, the chandelier should be about 24″ wide.
Bedroom
If you’re hanging a pendant above a nightstand, allow for at least 30″ between the bottom of the shade and your nightstand’s surface. To keep the look balanced, center your pendant over your nightstand.
