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A candelabrum on the dinner table changes the meal entirely. The overhead light is softened or turned off, the candles are lit, and everyone at the table looks better — the light is warm, low, and moving. Silver candelabra hold candles on a set of curved arms rising from a weighted base; single candlesticks stand alone or in matched pairs. Both are among the oldest domestic metalwork forms, and both remain in daily use in households that care about the table. This is a guide to the styles, the materials, and how to choose well.
Candelabrum vs Candlestick
A candlestick is a single-holder stand for one candle — the everyday form, made in every material from silver to iron to porcelain. A candelabrum (plural: candelabra) is a branched candle holder, typically with three, five, seven, or nine arms rising from a single base. Traditionally candlesticks are used in matched pairs on the mantle, sideboard, or dressing table; candelabra are used centrally on the dining table or on a hall table where the visual weight of a taller, multi-armed piece is welcome.
Silver Candelabra
Sterling silver is the classic material and always has been. A period Georgian, Regency, or Victorian sterling silver candelabrum is a serious piece of decorative metalwork, weighted at the base with pitch or plaster to keep it stable, and carrying a full set of English hallmarks under the base indicating the maker, the assay office, the date, and the standard mark. Georgian candelabra (c. 1714-1830) tend to be more restrained in ornament, with fluted columns, urn-shaped nozzles, and elegant proportions. Victorian candelabra (1837-1901) are often more elaborate, with cast foliate arms, figural stems (cherubs, caryatids), and heavy repoussé decoration.
Silver-plated candelabra — Old Sheffield Plate (fused silver over copper, made 1743 to about 1840) and later electroplate on nickel silver (EPNS, from the 1840s onward) — are the more affordable alternatives and can be exceptionally handsome. Old Sheffield in particular has a soft warmth to its silver surface that many collectors prefer to sterling. A pair of antique Sheffield silver-plated candelabra in good condition can often be bought for a fraction of the price of a sterling equivalent.
Brass and Bronze
Brass candlesticks and candelabra are the oldest continuously produced form in Europe — Dutch, English, and Spanish brasswork of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries includes some of the most beautiful metalwork of any period. Brass polishes to a warm yellow gold and, if kept unlacquered, develops a lovely soft patina with age. A pair of Queen Anne brass candlesticks in balanced turned form is a working antique that costs less than most people expect.
Bronze — a copper-tin alloy — is heavier, harder, and darker than brass. Ecclesiastical candlesticks and the great Renaissance and Baroque candelabra are typically bronze, often gilded (ormolu). A bronze candelabrum has a gravitas that brass and silver cannot quite match — it feels architectural rather than decorative.
Ecclesiastical vs Domestic
Some of the finest antique candelabra were made for churches: tall bronze or brass altar candlesticks, seven-branched Jewish menorahs (which are candelabra in the strict sense), and elaborate paschal candlesticks intended to hold a single very large ceremonial candle. Ecclesiastical pieces often turn up in the secondary market when a church is closed or reorganised, and they can be extraordinary — but they are typically larger, taller, and more solemn in feeling than domestic pieces. A former altar candlestick can be handsome in a large hall or on a stone-topped console; it will overwhelm a small dining table.
Domestic candelabra were made in a range of sizes intended for specific rooms: small dressing-table pieces (typically 8-10 inches tall, holding two candles), mantle pieces (12-16 inches, three candles), dining-table candelabra (16-24 inches, five candles), and grand hall or ceremonial pieces (24-36 inches, seven or nine candles). Size the piece to the table it will sit on: as a rough guide, a candelabrum should sit no higher than a diner’s line of sight when seated — 20-22 inches is a safe maximum for most dining tables.
Hallmarks — The Silver Signature
Every genuine piece of English or Scottish sterling silver made since roughly 1300 carries a set of hallmarks stamped into the base or the underside of a foot. There are typically four marks: the standard mark (a lion passant for sterling silver, since 1544), the assay office mark (a leopard’s head for London, an anchor for Birmingham, a rose for Sheffield, a castle for Edinburgh), the date letter (a single letter in a specific typeface, indicating the year of assay), and the maker’s mark (the silversmith’s initials in a small shield). A full set of legible hallmarks is essential to establishing the age, origin, and maker of any silver piece, and any dealer selling English silver should be able to walk you through the marks. See the guide to Fine Silver for more.
Choosing Candles
The candles matter almost as much as the holders. For sterling silver and Old Sheffield candelabra, use only dripless beeswax or high-quality paraffin tapers — cheap candles produce heavy drips that can damage silver surfaces if not caught by the nozzle or bobèche. Ivory or unbleached white are the traditional colours; coloured candles are a matter of taste but should complement the room rather than compete with it. A taper too tall for the candelabrum looks awkward; a taper too short does not read from across the table. Standard 10-inch tapers suit most dining candelabra; 12-inch tapers suit taller pieces.
A set of unscented dripless beeswax taper candles in matched pairs is the everyday consumable for a household that lights its candelabra regularly. Scented candles do not belong in a dining candelabrum — the fragrance interferes with the food.
Questions from the Well-Lit Room
What is the difference between a candelabrum and a candlestick?
A candlestick holds a single candle; a candelabrum (plural: candelabra) holds multiple candles on branched arms rising from a single base. Candlesticks are usually made and used in matched pairs — for the mantle, the sideboard, the dressing table. Candelabra are typically used singly on a central location (the middle of the dining table, a hall console) or in pairs flanking a larger centrepiece. Both are among the oldest forms of domestic metalwork.
Are silver candelabra worth the price?
For sterling silver, yes — but there are excellent alternatives. A period Georgian or Victorian sterling silver candelabrum is a serious piece of applied art and a real investment; even at auction, quality sterling candelabra retain their value strongly. For most households, an antique Old Sheffield or Victorian electroplate pair offers essentially the same visual effect at a fraction of the sterling price, with only a trained eye able to tell the difference across a lit table. Solid brass candelabra of Georgian or Victorian date are another beautiful and much more affordable alternative.
How do I clean and care for silver candelabra?
Wipe down after each use with a soft cotton cloth to remove any wax drips (wax comes off more easily when just cool, not fully hardened). Polish with a proper silver polish (a paste such as Wright’s or Goddard’s, or a treated silver cloth) two or three times a year, or whenever tarnish becomes visible — never use an abrasive cleaner or a general metal polish, both of which will damage the finish. For heavy tarnish, a specialist silver dip can be used carefully, but do not immerse a weighted candelabrum (the base contains pitch or plaster that will be damaged by water). Store wrapped in acid-free tissue or a proper silver cloth bag between uses if the piece is not on daily display.
What is Sheffield plate, and is it real silver?
Old Sheffield Plate (roughly 1743 to 1840) is a fused sandwich of copper between two thin sheets of sterling silver, rolled and worked as a single sheet. It is genuine silver on the outside — thin, but real — and was the mid-priced silver of the Georgian and Regency periods. Old Sheffield has a warmth and softness that many collectors prefer to sterling, and good pieces are collectable in their own right. It should not be confused with later electroplated silver (EPNS, from the 1840s), which is silver electrochemically deposited on a nickel silver base — a different and generally less desirable process, though a fine Victorian electroplate piece can still be quite handsome.
How many arms should a dining candelabrum have?
For a standard dining table seating six to eight, a five-branch candelabrum is the classical choice — visually substantial, throws good light over the whole table, and does not overwhelm the setting. A three-branch pair is a lovely alternative, giving symmetry and lower profile. Seven- and nine-branch candelabra are grand — appropriate for a long formal table or for a hall console piece, and often too tall for comfortable dining. Single-arm candlesticks in matched pairs are the alternative to a candelabrum entirely, and give a slightly more restrained table.
See also: Fine Silver · Chandeliers · Fine Crystal.
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