I love the look of this lamp! I have it in my counseling office, but am considering purchasing another for my home. The "crystals" are plastic but look far higher quality than this and I don't have to worry about them breaking. You'll need clear light bulbs to maximize the sparkle and reflectiveness of the light. The base is quite ugly, but I have the lamp behind a sofa so it's not too noticeable. On the positive side, the base is very heavy and sturdy so no worries of the lamp tipping. I've received many compliments on the look of it.