One of the most common issues encountered with Tiffany-style stained glass lampshades is that they pull apart at the vase cap (metal top piece). Often this is a weak area because the lamp is heavy from the large amount of glass pieces and the solder that holds it together.

This lamp repair is a typical example showing where the vase cap and lamp have separated. The foil around the top layers of glass has pulled off and needs to be replaced so it can be put back together. Often it is worth replacing all the foil on the top layer of glass to ensure it will be more secure.

The images on the left show the lampshade with a hole where the vase cap has separated and the vase cap itself with the remnants of the foil round the edge.

As part of the repair job I also add wire and/or metal strips inside the lamp between the vase cap and the shade for additional strength. In this case I also added an edge of foil round the sides of the vase cap to tidy up the fitting. And of course the whole lampshade had a good clean and you can see how much brighter the colours are after that.

The owners were very pleased with their rebuilt lampshade, which they can now enjoy again.