Tiffany Lamp Buyer’s FAQ: Glass, Bulbs, Sizes, MOQ and Pricing
Everything retailers and wholesalers ask us about Tiffany lamps, from how to spot real stained glass to bulbs, sizes, minimum orders and why we quote prices the way we do. Straight answers from our factory in Huizhou, China.
The Questions We Hear Every Day
Tiffany lamps are beautiful, but for many first-time buyers they also feel a little mysterious. How do you tell real glass from plastic? Which bulb should go inside? What sizes sell best? And if you are buying for a shop or a distribution business, the questions keep going: what is the minimum order, can you customise a design, and why is there no price list on the website?
We are a Tiffany-style lamp manufacturer, and these questions reach our inbox every week. Below are honest answers, grouped into four parts: the lamps themselves, choosing the right lamps for your customers, bulbs and lighting, and ordering wholesale from our factory.
About Tiffany Lamps
What exactly is a Tiffany lamp?
A Tiffany lamp is a stained glass lamp in the style first designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany’s studio in New York in the late 19th century. Its shade is made from many small pieces of coloured glass, each wrapped in copper foil and soldered together into a mosaic-like pattern. Today, “Tiffany style lamps” means any lamp made with this traditional technique, whoever made it. CYVAREL is an independent manufacturer and is not affiliated with Tiffany & Co. or the original Tiffany Studios.
What is the difference between real stained glass and an imitation?
The material. A genuine Tiffany-style lamp uses real art glass, where the colour runs through the glass itself instead of sitting on the surface. Cheap imitations often use acrylic, resin or printed plastic. Three quick checks:
- Hold it to the light. Real glass is translucent and glows, with streaks and texture. Acrylic looks flat.
- Tap it gently. Glass gives a clear, crisp sound. Plastic sounds hollow.
- Look at the seams. On a real lamp you can see the copper foil and solder lines between pieces. Imitations usually have moulded or printed lines.
Every lamp we make uses 100% real stained glass, assembled by hand with the copper foil method. For antique pieces, see our guide on how to tell a real Tiffany lamp from a reproduction.
Are your lamps handmade?
Yes. Every shade is assembled by hand in our Huizhou workshop. The pattern is drawn, each piece of glass is cut to shape, wrapped in copper foil and soldered at every seam, the same method Tiffany’s craftspeople used more than a century ago. Because every sheet of glass has its own streaks and colour shifts, no two shades are exactly alike. You can follow the whole process in how Tiffany lamps are made, step by step.
Why are some Tiffany lamps much more expensive than others?
Price follows the work. The main factors are the number of glass pieces, the complexity of the pattern, the shade size and the type of glass and base. A simple geometric shade with 50 pieces takes far less cutting and soldering than a floral shade with 300 or more pieces and an irregular border, like a wisteria lamp. When you compare quotes, compare piece counts and glass quality, not just the photo.
Choosing the Right Tiffany Lamps for Your Store
Which shade sizes should I stock?
- 7″–8″: accent lamps, bookshelves, small nightstands and gift items.
- 10″–12″: standard desk, side table and bedside lamps, the easiest size to sell.
- 14″–16″: statement table lamps for living rooms and larger spaces.
- 16″–20″: Tiffany floor lamps, pendants and ceiling lights for dining rooms, bedrooms and hallways.
A useful rule for table lamps: the shade diameter should be about one third of the height of the surface it sits on. More tips are in our guide on how to choose a Tiffany table lamp.
Which type of lamp works in which room?
| Room | Recommended type |
|---|---|
| Bedroom | Table lamp or ceiling light |
| Living room | Tiffany floor lamp or large table lamp |
| Dining room | Pendant or chandelier |
| Home office / study | Desk or table lamp (10″–12″) |
| Entryway / hallway | Flush mount ceiling light or pendant |
| Corridor / bathroom | Flush mount or wall sconce |
For your customers, this table doubles as a simple way to group the range on your shelves or website.
Can Tiffany lamps be used with a dimmer?
Yes, with one condition: use LED bulbs marked “dimmable”. Not every LED bulb is dimmable, and a non-dimmable LED on a dimmer switch will flicker and wear out early. If you order bulbs with your lamps (see below), tell us you need dimmable ones and we will pack those.
Which glass colours sell best?
- Amber and warm gold: the warmest, softest light. A safe choice for bedrooms and living rooms.
- Greens (sea green, sage): calm and natural, popular for studies and home offices.
- Blues (cobalt, turquoise): cool and quiet, good for bedrooms and reading corners.
- Multicolour florals: bright and eye-catching, the natural focal point of a room or a shop window.
- Beige and neutrals: the easiest to match with almost any interior.
Browse real glass samples in our stained glass colour library. Any design can be made in a different colour scheme.
Bulbs and Lighting
Which bulb should I use in a Tiffany lamp?
We recommend LED bulbs at 2700K (warm white). This colour temperature matches the warm glow of an old incandescent bulb and brings out the depth of amber, red and other warm glass. Avoid daylight bulbs (5000K and above), which make warm glass look cold and dull.
What wattage and base do I need?
Most Tiffany table lamps and floor lamps take a standard medium screw bulb: E26 for the US market and E27 for most of Europe. A 6–10 W LED gives about the same light as a 40–60 W incandescent bulb. Always check the maximum wattage on the lamp’s label and never go above it. We fit the lamp holders and plugs to your market when we build your order.
Can you ship the lamps with bulbs included?
Yes, and many of our wholesale customers do. We buy bulbs in volume for our own production, so they are chosen to fit our lamps: the right base, size and colour temperature to show the glass at its best. Because we are in China and buy bulbs in bulk, the price is usually lower than buying them separately in your own country, and your lamps arrive ready to sell straight out of the box. Just tell us the quantity and whether you need dimmable bulbs.
Can I use a smart bulb in a Tiffany lamp?
Yes, as long as the smart bulb has the right base (E26 or E27) and stays within the lamp’s wattage limit. Smart bulbs that can be set to warm white (2700K) look especially good behind stained glass.
Ordering Tiffany Lamps Wholesale from Our Factory
What is your minimum order quantity?
Our MOQ is 30 pieces per style. We supply wholesalers, distributors, retailers and trading companies, not single lamps to end consumers. A first order of a few best-selling styles at 30 pieces each is a practical way to test the market. See our Tiffany lamps wholesale page for the full ordering process.
Can you make custom Tiffany lamps?
Yes. Send us your reference images, a sketch or simply your idea: a pattern, a colour scheme, a size or a base you like. Our team turns it into a drawing and makes a sample. While the sample is being made we stay in touch with you in real time, sending photos and videos so you can ask for changes to the glass colours, the pattern or the proportions, until the lamp looks the way you want. Only then do we start production. More details are on our custom stained glass lamps page.
How do your prices compare?
We are the factory, not a middleman. We do not sell through third-party marketplaces, which charge commissions and fees that end up in the price. We only promote our lamps through this website and our social media, and we deal with you directly. That keeps your cost lower and still leaves us a fair return.
Why are there no prices on your website?
Because our costs move. Glass, copper, solder and metal prices change often, and so do exchange rates, so a fixed price list would be out of date within weeks. Instead we keep one fixed rule: we add an 8% profit margin to the actual cost of making your lamps, on every order.
How quoting works: when you are choosing products, we give you reference prices so you can plan your range and budget. When you are ready to order, we calculate the exact price from that day’s material costs and exchange rate, still with the same 8% margin.
Where is your factory, and do you ship to my country?
Our factory is in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China. We ship by sea freight to ports anywhere in the world, with export cartons and protective packing designed for long journeys. Production lead time, packaging and quality checks are covered in our wholesale FAQ on lead time, MOQ and quality, and you can learn more about the region in our Huizhou Tiffany lamp factory guide.
How do I get your product catalogue?
If you would like to order designs we already make, fill in the inquiry form with your name, company, country and the types of lamps you are interested in. We will send you our product catalogue with reference prices. You can also browse the online catalogue and note the product codes you like.
Still have a question we have not answered here? Send us a message through the inquiry form and our team will get back to you.