Featured Amber and Stone Handmade Lamp Shade

I know this should go in the Finds thread, but I am so excited I couldn't help sharing it here. About a year ago, I found this mostly completed, handmade, stained glass type lamp shade made of real amber and various stones. (I tested it with a black light - see picture.) Some of the polished stones have an opalescence.

It is crudely made, and was completely missing the middle piece - vented vase cap - that attaches the shade to the lamp base. The opening for the middle piece was also too large and irregular. It was like the artist ran out of stones or time - I'm not sure which. It had been in someone's closet for years. I saw it and rescued it after a $100 left my pocket.

I took it to a local lighting store. They looked at it and after their jaw dropped at the difficulty of making it a useful lamp, they agreed to figure out a way to make it happen. A year later and Voilà!

 

That is very cool!!

I vaguely remembered you discussing something about a lamp & found your original thread.

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/lamp-base-help-me-decide.62771/

 

I forgot that I mentioned it. Thank you. That base was too big for it. I bought this modern simple base that allowed the shade to be the focal point instead.

 

Were you ever able to find a shade for that lamp?

 

No. Stained glass shades are ludicrously expensive right now. The base is in holding for the time being.

 

It's beautiful!

 

It is fine here, no need to move it. What a wonderful, magical shade. It really belongs with you, Kiko, with your love of stones. Good fluorescence on the amber too.
Since amber is believed to transform negative energy to positive, I'm sure it will have a positive influence on your home.

 

My father, a geologist would have loved that. So would I!

 

That's a great story to go with an amazingly beautiful lampshade!

 

Thank you. I could see its potential in the back of the closet.

 

There is even a better story at the shop. So, I take it there in July 2021. After they get over their initial reservations, they take it in to see what they can do. I call in a couple of weeks - they've ordered the parts. I drive there in a couple of months; they drag it out from where they have it stored in their massively overstocked little store. You know the kind - you can't see the ceiling because they have so many hanging fixtures; you can't see the floor except for small aisles because there are so many pole lamps; they have boxes with customer's projects piled haphazardly. There are shelves with table lamps jammed next to each other. The countertop is covered with table lamps, they have walls of small items tucked into tiny cubbyhole. They look at their notes and say the parts haven't come in yet.

I go there every few months to show my face. They keep saying the part hasn't come in yet. Finally, after about 15 months, I hear from them a couple of weeks ago. "Bring a base," the part came it. I did some searching on the proper base and didn't like the ceramic bulbous bottoms usually paired with the commercial ones, so I went to the shop looking for inventory. It appears that someone came in a month ago took their only four stained glass lamp type bases to see what one would fit their lamp (he paid for all of and was going to return the unused ones.) No bases.

There were three stained glass lamps on the counter with bases, all were in the $500 range supposed discounted from $950 and up. I thought I would see how my shade would look like with the heights and styles and then start looking online. The lovely person who was helping me - a diminutive woman in her 40's - went somewhere and dragged out the base you see that already had a stained glass shade.

Then she started her magic. Understand there was a large uneven hole where the vent cap was supposed to be or at least an even narrow finished ring to slide over a vent cap. What she did was put a vent cap under the shade and a decorative one on top to make a sandwich to hold the shade in place. She cut a threaded piece to fit this new configuration, sprayed a metal sleave with a metal color to match and covered the elongated threaded rod. She then dug in a bunch of boxes until she found a nice simple finial.

I watched her creative mind at work with awe.

 

I can see someone like your father collecting up his loose pieces and spending many happy hours.

 

It's something, isn't it.

 

The base just fits it to a "T"!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thank you. She certainly had an eye.

 

I love it. Glad it is finally back at home with you.

 

It’s happy for sure.

 

She did a great job, in fact she kyratised it!
@kyratango , Kiko found your long lost sister in California!!!

 

It does have that jaw-dropping, almost unbelievable “I’ve always been this beautiful” look indicative of @kyratango’s work, but do you have the genetic test results to back up your claim?

 

Seriously though, holy cow that’s *gorgeous*.