Judge the Quality of a Tiffany Lamp
Most Tiffany style lamps on the market come with bases made of poly rezin. Some high-end styles use bronze bases made of zink alloy. Other than their various designs, these bases are in general comparable in quality among the vendors. The value of a Tiffany lamp mainly comes from its shade. Fortunately, you will be able to judge the quality of a lampshade using your own eyes and hands. Two things you need to look at—glass and solder.
Glass
Cheap knockoffs use low quality glass. Such glass looks rough and lacks brilliance, consequently they need to rely on the bulb light to present the artistic patterns. Often times, the colors are not well coordinated in those lamps. This is because of the inconsistent nature of the low-end glass used, which makes it almost impossible to find the exact color variations.
On the other hand, a fine Tiffany style lamp is hand made with high quality stained glass that shines even when the light bulb is not on. The patterns are clear all the way through, and the light only enhances the beauty of the lamp. The texture of art glass is smooth. Colors are precise, consistent, and well balanced, bringing nature to life.
Solder
A simple way to inspect the craftsmanship is to study the solder lines. The solder lines on a good Tiffany style lamp is finely drawn, even, and well polished. They are firm and usually plump, supporting the glass artwork and holding the shades tight. The solder on a low quality Tiffany style lamp is inconsistent - thick at some places and thin at other places. You can easily see break-down joints and flat shapes throughout the solder framework.
Touch the shade and see for yourself. The lampshade of a fine Tiffany style lamp feels like one coherent surface, with smooth and even solder lines separating glass pieces. When you touch the surface of a cheap duplicate, your hands won’t have much satisfaction. The solder lines are rough, and if you are not careful, some of them may cut your fingers.
