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Bring the flavor of the American West into the home by adding an antler chandelier to the décor. Most of these unique antlers come from hand selected shed antlers which the animals does every fall. Beautiful colors and graceful shaping are what makes this fixture so wonderful. With lights scattered throughout the curves of each of the antlers, the antler chandelier has its own distinctive taste of country.
Antlers for the antler chandelier come in pairs that are hornlike and bony. They are deciduous growths that are elongated and branched from the heads of the male animals. Some animals have horns while others have antlers. They usually develop in the summer, with the buck deer, or young male, growing his first pair of antlers out of the tiny bumps that were on his head when he was born. These larger antlers develop a thick layer of velvet for about one month; the inside is slowly becoming hardened upon which the velvet is shed. The purpose of the antlers is for the males to fight for the female deer, or doe. The antler chandelier is shed during this whole mating process. A custom designed antler chandelier ranges anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 and up. Some of the chandeliers are faux elk or moose, with two antlers and four moose antlers, along with six candelabra and two down lights. They come with an antique brass canopy, and 36” of antique brass chain. Each one is designed from the most realistic synthetic antlers on the market. One Montana professional by the name of Cody who makes antler chandeliers for a living, asks his customers, “How much antler, and large of a piece do you want to look at?” According to him, there are two types of pieces to think about: something functional, beautiful and not so bold; or something that is bold and breathtaking. According to Cody and his website, one of the most important things in regard to size is whether the antler chandelier will fit through the door. Good question. Another important thing is the issue of antler type and design. This is a personal preference based on the person’s likes and dislikes about the antler chandelier. The antlers of deer, elk, moose, big horn sheep, buffalo, or antelope never grow exactly the same way – antler is very unique and different. Electrical wire is placed inside these antlers, which are carefully selected. Some are naturally shedded and real, and some are synthetic, but the best ones are natural antlers from the animal itself, with size, shape and color carefully looked over. The electrical part of the fixture is usually inspected by conducting a dielectric test of about 2000 volts to ensure its quality. Chains and styles are usually part of the fee along with bubbles and ceiling canopy.
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Lighting Types and Bulbs