Considered among the most beautiful and the earliest are those made in 18th-century Venice.

Always considered the ultimate touch of elegance, beautiful glass chandeliers are always costly - even at auction. Whether they are 18th-, 19th- or 20th-century creations, chandeliers are being bought to add a finishing touch to homes and offices. As a recent Red Baron auction proved, even old theater lights qualify - earning $2,300 at hammer.

Price depends on age, design and materials. For instance, a neo-classical chandelier in dore' bronze, with a cut and etched crystal globe and garlands and three pairs of crossed torches had an estimated auction value of $3,000/$4,000.

Once upon a time, when houses built in the early 20th century were demolished, the light fixtures were trashed or found their way to salvage yards. These days they end up in high-priced architectural salvage shops. Be they Art Deco or 1950s-era Modernism, there will be a buyer.

Attribution to a known European glass house adds to the value of 18th- and 19th-century pieces. Among the top names selling often in five figures are Baccarat of France, Waterford of Ireland and the Spanish factory La Granja de San Ildefonso, along with makers in Bohemia, Italy, England, Sweden and Russia.

Considered among the most beautiful and the earliest are those made since the 18th century in Venice. They can be recognized by their use of clear and colored glass, richly adorned with blown glass leaves, flowers and fruits. Many were as large as eight feet in diameter.

Less familiar are the 19th-century cut-glass chandeliers of Russia that were so popular they were shipped to the major cities of Europe.

Designated "masterpieces" however, are the chandeliers created in 18th-century Bohemia. Most famous is the ornate "Maria Theresa" chandelier that consists of layers of cut-crystal drops and beads hanging from every inch of tiered branches in the rococo style. Combinations of colored glass, elaborate engraving and gilt decorations with cased (cut in layers) glass are the icing on the cake for this lavish chandelier.

Even 18th-century England was deterred from its usual brass chandeliers when glass chandeliers became fashionable around 1745. These followed the prevailing rococo styles with cut-glass pendant drops. At the beginning of the neo-classical period, in the late 18th century, the shafts were urn-shaped and the drops were pear-shaped, wired into chains and hung on branches. Probably the most often copied was the Regency period (1810-20), when pendant drops hung in tiered sheets.

CLUES: By the mid-19th century, American glass houses, such as the New England Glass Co., Boston and Sandwich Co. and Gillinder of Philadelphia created lavish cut glass and crystal chandeliers that today can be mistaken for those costly Bohemian, English and Irish examples.

This is especially true of some of the colored overlay pieces made in the 1840s, by the Boston and Sandwich Co., in the style of Bohemian glass. Since there is such a wide variance of prices for the authentic pieces, get advice from an expert before spending too much. When you spot a chandelier you like don't be afraid to ask the dealer how they know the chandelier is really Bohemian or 19th-century Murano. If the chandelier is tagged "attributed to" that's a red light for "we're not really sure."

Another problem comes when you buy what you think is a chandelier with crystal prisms and they are acrylic. Twang the crystals - they should have a ring.