A Capiz pendant light is a hanging fixture decorated with Capiz shells. Pendant lights decorated with Capiz shells are designed and manufactured by many different companies such as Laura Ashley, Corbett Dulce, Horchow, Hampton Bay Razzari, Oriental, Curry and Company, Robles and numerous others. The shells are cut into a variety of geometric shapes like circles, rectangles, and ovals. The shapes are hung individually from the number of tiers wanted. They vary from 1 to 12 or more with the length of the pendant dictated by the design. Shells of the Capiz are also applied directly to a variety of shapes. A popular design is to fasten the shell segments together to create flowers and affix them to a ball-shaped pendant or other shape.
The Capiz shell comes from a mollusk that grows in the waters of the Philippines, Borneo, and southern China. The primary exporter of the shells today is the Philippines. It was used there to make jewelry and other items for hundreds of years before contact with Europeans. The Spanish, who controlled the Philippines until the late 1800s, named the shells Capiz or kapis for a province there. They greatly appreciated the lovely white shells, so thin that light can shine through them, and used them for many kinds of decoration. While the Capiz is inedible it is a sea creature similar to an oyster and it even grows pearls. Its shells are cut into various shapes before being used to make numerous items including panes for windows, jewelry and other items including the ever popular pendant lights, In some cases, only the multicolored section of the shell known as mother of pearl is used and is applied to the shape wanted. The shells can also be dyed any color to suit a particular purpose
Because of its continuing popularity, the Capiz pendant light can be found at many retailers. Some stores that offer the fixtures for sale are Target, Home Depot, Nieman Marcus, and Pottery Barn. They are also advertised by online stores. Capiz pendant lights are sold at a wide range of prices. Price tags begin at less than $100 for a simple design. More elaborate and larger styles made of high quality materials are often sold for several thousand dollars. Clearly, if a consumer is looking to add a touch of unique elegance to a home, multi light pendants embellished with Capiz shells is a good way to go.
