Lighting Glossary 

ADA Compliant: Sconces must be less than 4” from the wall

Bath Lighting Fixtures: Includes brackets and sconces; uses glass rather than shades and candles. Usually 1, 2 , 3 , or 4 lighted fixture. Example: Bath Bar Light

Billiard (Island): Typical applications include breakfast bar, island, or pool table area.  Usually elongated with 2 chains or rod hanging down

Bobeche: A saucer or bowl shaped piece.  We use these pieces on the arms, through the stem, and on the bottom. They may or may not hold pendants. Support for the candlesleeve or a piece of glass.

Break: Refers to any of the crystal columns that make up the stem of the chandelier. A threaded piece that connects pieces of the stem or columns.

Back Plate: Plate that mounts to the wall, that the arms are attached to.

Candelabra bulb: “C” bulb with small base.  Never upside down. Can use with shades

Candle cup: Either a crystal or metal pieces that holds the candle cover and socket.  Not all of the fixture have these.  On our fixtures, the candle cups do not hold pendants.

Canopy: The piece used to cover the open ceiling box; the electric box cover of on the top of the chandelier.

Cast Brass:  Molten brass poured into a mold to achieve very fine details.

Cast Brass Holder: Socket cover that holds the shade.

Channel (Rod): Long tube of metal, may be threaded.

Compact Flourescent Bulb: Low-Energy replacement bulb for incandescent light bulb.  Made in Medium base (Edison), also circular and tube.

Chandeliers: Suspended from the ceiling. A term used to describe a light fixture with multiple arms or branches.  Usually refers to a hanging light. Hanging system: crossbar, threaded rod, screw, collar or chain.

Energy Star: Fixtures that use 1/4 of the energy of traditional fixtures; but distribute light more efficiently.

Edison Bulb: Medium base, incandescent bulb.

Facet: The small, plane surfaces on a piece of crystal.  The quality of the cut forming the facet, as well as the angle and arrangement of the facet, are important to the reflection of light.

Festoons: The strands of crystal that “festoon” or drape the fixtures.

            Between arm festoons: These festoon start on the top or on the second bobeche of the main stem. The strands start with one or more buttons and divide into a double strand of crystal buttons that run the length of the fixture and end beneath the bobeche on the ferrule of the lower arms.

Arm to arm festoon: These festoons are single strands and run from one arm to the next. These strands attach to a crystal pendant assembly hanging directly beneath the bobeche.

Finial: Decorative piece that attaches to fixture base; usually at bottom of column or bottom of arms.

Flush Mount: Installs flush against the ceiling

Foot Candles:  Measurement; Amount of light reaching a subject. (A measurement of light)

Full-cut: Both sides of a pendant are fully faceted.

Half-cut: Only one side of a pendant is fully faceted, while the opposite side has a large planed area.

Hurricane shades: The glass shades that are designed to rest on the bobeche and cover an entire candle.  Also called chimneys.

Island (Billiard) Light: see Billiard.

Junction box: Point of power supply in a wall or ceiling.

Lumens: Measurement; The amount of light that a bulb produces.

Medium bulb (Edison): Can be inverted.

Pendant: Also called drop or downlight. Range of styles mini, traditional uplight and downlight. Can be suspended from rods, chains, or wire (mini pendants); uses many different shapes of glass. Chain Drop, wire drop pendants, rod drop

Pocket Sconce: Flush mount wall fixture that has no arms, usually covered with panel of glass that directs light up or down.

Polishing: The smoothing of the surface of the crystal.  It can be done by hand or machine; the higher the polish, the greater the brilliance of the crystal. 

Resin: Artificial substances used to make plastics.  Refers to the hard material sometimes used to make decorative parts of a light fixture

Smart Bulb: Referring to compact fluorescent bulb

Sconce: Any wall mounted light fixture.  1, 2, or 3 light.

Semi-flush: Close to ceiling, can be suspended from rods or chain

Standard: Another name for the main stem of fixture

Top Loop:  Loop that attaches the chain to the base of the fixture.

Track Lighting: Can provide general, task, or accent lighting all at once in one flexible lighting system.  Can move, swivel, rotate and aim the fixtures in any direction along the track, giving you the versatility to change your lighting scheme when the need arises.  You can also hang chandeliers and pendants from the track.  Track fixtures are available in the standard or low-voltage current, and a choice of incandescent, tungsten-halogen, and energy-efficient compact fluorescent light sources.

Wall Sconce: From a single arm to an extravagant multi-light fixture, sconces can be used in just about any area of the home, where its effects can range from casting a subtle to dramatic glow; Has arm(s) may be up or down, may have glass/shades, separate visible decorative plate.

Wattage: An amount of power.

Wrought Iron: Iron construction that is created by the use of heating iron and pounding it into shape with a hammer.