Antique Silver Candelabrum
When you search for an antique silver candelabrum, you are looking at branched lighting fixtures designed to hold multiple candles upon a dining table or sideboard.
Antique Silver Candelabrum
An antique silver candelabrum combines vertical stems with detachable branches to support several candles simultaneously. Pieces spanning the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries appear frequently on this page, including George III, Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco examples.
The inventory encompasses paired candlesticks with conversion branches, large four or five-light dining table centrepieces, low two-branch table models and related lighting forms such as wall sconces and candle lamps. Most specimens utilise silver plate, Old Sheffield plate or sterling silver, alongside occasional brass, copper and spelter pieces.
Styles range from restrained Regency and Neoclassical designs to ornate Rococo Revival decoration and Jugendstil interpretations. Buyers encounter English provincial work alongside French and Italian manufacture.
How they were made
Silversmiths constructed solid sterling pieces by raising and casting metal, whilst plated items utilised techniques such as Old Sheffield plate, where a silver sheet was fused to a copper base, or later electroplating methods over nickel silver and copper foundations.
Candelabra frames were assembled from weighted bases, fluted or panelled stems, and fitted socket arms that often detach to permit use as simple candlesticks.
Decoration relied on chased foliage, gadrooned borders, cast scrollwork, and applied crests soldered onto the structural components.
Antique Silver Candelabrum Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for silver candelabrum among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Several pieces double as palm tree dishes and Hollywood girl figures, proving that past dining tables welcomed a touch of theatrical drama.
What varies in quality
The distinction between ordinary production and top-tier work rests on the crispness of the cast ornamentation and the structural integrity of the branch junctions. Superior pieces retain deep, hand-chased detail in the foliate mounts and heavy gauge metal that prevents wobble in the extended arms.
Maker attribution also elevates a piece, with documented workshops such as Matthew Boulton, Hawksworth Eyre, Garrard and Elkington commanding greater attention through superior weight, balanced proportions, and careful silver distribution over the underlying metal.
Hawksworth Eyre·Garrard & Co·Matthew Boulton·Smith & Sissons & Co·Elkington
The Antique Silver Candelabrum Glossary
- Old Sheffield plate
- A composite material formed by fusing a thin sheet of silver onto a copper ingot before rolling them together. This technique produces a characteristic warm glow where the base copper occasionally shows through high points.
- Electroplated nickel silver
- A base alloy of copper, nickel and zinc coated with a layer of pure silver through an electrical process. Introduced in the nineteenth century, it provided a durable alternative to older fusion methods.
- Sconce
- A wall-mounted bracket designed to hold candles or electric bulbs. In older interiors, these were positioned to reflect light off mirrors.
- Centrepiece
- A large decorative vessel or candelabrum placed in the middle of a dining table. These often incorporate detachable branches or removable dishes for versatility.
- Gadrooned
- A decorative carved or embossed border consisting of repeating convex curves. This motif frequently edges the bases and drip pans of Georgian and Victorian lighting.
Antique Silver Candelabrum: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use modern candles in these pieces?
Standard taper candles often fit, though older sockets occasionally require slight trimming or snugging with a wax ring to stand straight.
Check the diameter of the nozzle against current candle sizes before lighting.
How do I distinguish Old Sheffield plate from later electroplate?
Examine the edges and undersides for a thin sliver of reddish copper showing through the worn silver layer. This reveals the fused sandwich construction characteristic of the older technique.
Electroplated pieces usually show a uniform grey base metal beneath worn spots.
Where were these pieces used historically?
Large multi-light examples illuminated dining tables during formal evening meals, serving as glittering centrepieces when lit.
Smaller paired sticks and low branches stood on sideboards, mantelpieces and drawing-room tables.