subject: Fixing A Defective Glass Lamp Shade [print this page] 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.
If the glass light shade is much more heterogeneous than a single piece of glass, then the work of a specialized restorer is required. They will charge quite a lot given that glass restoration is a length, slow process demanding of attention, knowledge, know-how, dexterity, and material resources. That being said the best pieces to restore are the lamp shades that have intrinsic historical value such as the Tiffany lamp shades.
The sequence of steps in restoring a glass shade is not uniform and depends strongly on the kind of shade and what sort of damage has been done. The simplest kind of repair may be the replacement of a single piece of glass with a correct colored one. The most complicated repairs entail reconstructing the entire shade starting from an identical shape mold which serves as a scaffold to the reconstruction process. Metallic fold, iron and brass and solder may be needed.
Other parts of the light shade including the metal or wooden base, as well as decorative beads or metal parts on the shade or holder itself deserve equal attention. Experience working with each one of these materials is required making the glass lamp shade restoration business difficult for the newcomer craftsman but probably also quite lucrative.
The reason for restoring such shades is that they have value beyond the raw materials of the object itself. For collectors' pieces, the engraved name of the manufacturer, designer or artist can be worth much more than the functional or material benefits of the shade. Restoration therefore has a strong monetary if not emotional component for most people who own glass light shades.
