In brief
- The Givenchy Royal Hanover silver chandelier is the most expensive, sold for £5,753,250 (over $9 million) in 2011.
- A Giacometti chandelier bought for £250 sold at Christie’s in 2023 for a £2.4 million hammer price.
- The Hôtel Lambert chandelier made $1.7 million at Sotheby’s Paris in 2005.
- Royal provenance and famous makers drive the highest chandelier prices.
As of October 2026, the most expensive chandelier ever sold at auction is the Givenchy Royal Hanover silver chandelier, which made £5,753,250 (over $9 million) at Christie’s London in July 2011. A Giacometti chandelier sold for a £2.4 million hammer price in 2023, taking second place.
Most of the top prices come from royal or aristocratic pieces with a clear history, or from works by famous artists. Below are the 10 highest chandelier sales we could confirm, with the auction house and year for each.
Most expensive chandeliers ever sold: summary table
| Rank | Chandelier | Price | Sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Givenchy Royal Hanover silver chandelier | £5,753,250 (over $9 million) | Christie’s London, 2011 |
| 2 | Alberto Giacometti chandelier for Horizon magazine | £2.4 million (hammer) | Christie’s London, 2023 |
| 3 | Hôtel Lambert gilt-bronze cut-glass chandelier | $1.7 million | Sotheby’s Paris, 2005 |
| 4 | Imperial chandelier, Bruni Tedeschi collection | $1.3 million | Sotheby’s |
| 5 | Robert Garrard 18-light silver chandelier | $1.1 million | Christie’s, 1990 |
| 6 | Pierre Boulanger silvered brass chandelier | SEK 7,962,500 | Bukowskis Stockholm, 2021 |
| 7 | Frank Lloyd Wright chandelier (1903) | $825,000 | Private sale, 2013 |
| 8 | Imperial Neoclassical 18-light chandelier | $815,025 | Christie’s, 2010 |
| 9 | Genoese crystal chandeliers | $677,203 | Sotheby’s, 2010 |
| 10 | Dale Chihuly chandelier | $200,000 | Rago Auctions, 2015 |
1. Givenchy Royal Hanover chandelier: £5.75 million
This German silver eight-light chandelier was designed by William Kent for King George II in his role as Elector of Hanover. The Hanover court goldsmith Balthasar Friedrich Behrens made it, and it was delivered to the palace in Hanover in September 1736.
Also readLuxury Gifts for Men 2026: 12 Premium Picks Worth BuyingIt later hung at Windsor Castle and was bought by the fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy, who sold it at Christie’s Monaco in 1994. In July 2011 it was offered at Christie’s Exceptional Sale in London with an estimate of £2.6 million to £3.6 million, according to Antiques and Art Ireland.
It sold for £5,753,250, well above the high estimate and worth more than $9 million at the time. No chandelier has been publicly reported to have beaten that price since.
2. Giacometti chandelier: £2.4 million
This chandelier was made by the Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti in the late 1940s for the London offices of Horizon, a cultural magazine. The artist John Craxton later bought it from a Marylebone antiques shop for £250.
Christie’s offered it in 2023 with an estimate of £1.5 million to £2.5 million. The Antiques Trade Gazette reported that five phone bidders from the US and Europe competed, and it sold for a hammer price of £2.4 million, before the buyer’s premium.
3. Hôtel Lambert chandelier: $1.7 million
This varnished and gilt-bronze cut-glass chandelier came from the Hôtel Lambert in Paris, the home of the collector Baron Alexis de Redé. It was sold at Sotheby’s Paris in 2005.
According to Money Inc, it was estimated at $1.3 million to $2.7 million and sold for about $1.7 million. That made it one of the most expensive chandeliers sold at the time.
4. Bruni Tedeschi imperial chandelier: $1.3 million
This French imperial chandelier dates from around 1812 and came from the collection of the Italian industrialist Alberto Bruni Tedeschi, father of the singer Carla Bruni.
It is linked to the workshop that supplied furniture to Napoleon. Money Inc reports that it sold at Sotheby’s for about $1.3 million, well above its estimate.
5. Robert Garrard 18-light chandelier: $1.1 million
The London silversmith Robert Garrard made this 18-light silver chandelier in 1837 for James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Abercorn. It passed through several owners after the marquess ran into money trouble.
It sold at Christie’s in 1990 for about $1.1 million, roughly double its high estimate, according to Money Inc. Silver chandeliers of this size are rare because many were melted down for their metal.
6. Pierre Boulanger chandelier: SEK 7.96 million
This silvered brass chandelier is attributed to Pierre Boulanger of Paris and dates from around 1750. It was sold by Bukowskis in Stockholm on 2 June 2021.
It made SEK 7,962,500, just under $1 million at the exchange rate of the time. Bukowskis called it a record sale for its Works of Art department.
7. Frank Lloyd Wright chandelier: $825,000
The American architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed this chandelier in 1903 for the master bedroom of one of his early houses. It was one of a pair.
A museum in St. Louis bought it in 2013 from private sellers. The price was reported at about $825,000, though some sources give $835,000.
8. Imperial Neoclassical 18-light chandelier: $815,025
This Russian chandelier is attributed to Johan Zekh, a St. Petersburg maker who supplied chandeliers to the Mikhailovsky Castle. It is believed to have hung in the bedroom of Empress Maria Feodorovna at Pavlovsk Palace.
It sold at Christie’s in 2010 for $815,025, about twice its high estimate, as reported by Money Inc.
9. Genoese crystal chandeliers: $677,203
These crystal chandeliers from Genoa, Italy, sold at Sotheby’s in 2010 for $677,203. The sale shows that period Italian crystal pieces can reach prices close to those of royal French and Russian work.
10. Dale Chihuly chandelier: $200,000
Dale Chihuly is an American glass artist known for large blown-glass installations. One of his chandeliers sold at Rago Auctions in 2015 for $200,000, which The Hot Bid reported as a record result.
It is the only contemporary piece on this list. Chihuly’s chandeliers hang in museums, hotels and private homes around the world.
How we ranked these
We ranked chandeliers by the final price reported by the auction house or a named publication. Hammer prices are noted where the premium was not published. We left out sales we could not confirm and table lamps, which are a separate category. For more interior pieces, see our list of the most expensive house decors.
Sources: Antiques and Art Ireland, Antiques Trade Gazette, Bukowskis, Money Inc, The Hot Bid.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive chandelier in the world?
The Givenchy Royal Hanover chandelier is the most expensive sold at auction. Designed by William Kent for King George II and made in 1736, it sold at Christie’s London in July 2011 for £5,753,250, worth more than $9 million at the time.
How much did the Giacometti chandelier sell for?
Alberto Giacometti’s chandelier, made in the late 1940s for Horizon magazine’s London office, sold at Christie’s in 2023 for a hammer price of £2.4 million. It had once been bought from a Marylebone antiques shop for just £250.
Who owned the Royal Hanover chandelier?
It was made for King George II as Elector of Hanover and delivered in 1736. It later hung at Windsor Castle and was owned by the fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy, who sold it at Christie’s Monaco in 1994 before its 2011 resale.
Why are antique chandeliers so expensive?
Prices depend on provenance, maker, material and rarity. Silver chandeliers are rare because many were melted down. Pieces made for royal palaces, or by named artists such as Giacometti, attract strong bidding from collectors and museums.
How much is a Dale Chihuly chandelier worth?
A Dale Chihuly chandelier sold at Rago Auctions in 2015 for $200,000, which The Hot Bid reported as a record result. Prices for his work vary widely depending on size, date and whether the piece was made for a specific site.
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