Glass lamps and glass lamp shades are a great way to add some elegance and style to your room or home. They are perfectly suited to cast light of varying colors and intensity, creating any look and feel you wish to present. There are a wide range of styles, shapes and sizes to choose from, and it can be quite a daunting experience to pick the type that best suits your needs.

Each shape or design for a glass lamp shade is given a name that does not necessarily conform across manufacturers and stores. From student lamp shades to Tiffany’s, it takes a personal observation to decide which lamp shade best suits your needs.

There are two main types of glass lamp shades, the cylinder and the cone.

• Cone Lamps

The cone lamps are conical in shape and can be oriented either downwards or upwards. The upwards orientation design reflects light more towards the ceiling and its downward counterpart reflects it to the floor. In these versions, the bulb is oriented in the same direction of the cone. In the more traditional conical glass lamp shades, the bulb is oriented in the opposite direction, reflecting light in both directions.

• Cylinder Lamps

Cylinder lamp shades have a fixed width and can range in diameter. The design plays an important role in how light is reflected using these lamp shades; the more width and diameter a lamp shade has, the more light will be reflected. The color of the glass also provides different lighting element to suit your needs.