History of Candlemaking

Scientists believe that human beings discovered fire and what it can do close to two million years ago.

It was with the use of fire that humans learned to protect themselves, to cook food, to keep warm and to provide light in darkness with the earliest lighting tools having been lamps and torches.

The candle, or something close to its current form, came to the picture late in the game -- around 5,000 years ago.

According to the National Candle Association website, different cultures developed their own version of the candle in early history. Excavations in Egypt unearthed clay candle holders dating back almost 3,000 years.

Moreover, it is believed that Romans were also using candles at the same time the Egyptians were. The most common materials to make candles then were papyrus dipped in beeswax or tallow, a substance made from the fat of beef or mutton.

Additionally, candles made from whale fat were found in the mausoleum of an Ancient Chinese emperor who reigned around 200 B.C.

Whatever wax could be found from plants, insects and fat from animals, early civilizations used in some way as candles. From Japan, to India, to Tibet, to Europe, to the Mediterranean area, candles in one form or another were known to have existed. And, in those days, candles functioned much in the same way as they did later in history: as sources of light and in religious ceremonies.

Later on, another function for candles was discovered – keeping time.

Anglo-Saxons put notches in candles to mark measures of time.

The Chinese used elaborate contraptions of candles, incense and threads as candle-clocks.

In Europe, from having been predominantly made out of tallow, candles started to be made out of beeswax. This was a welcome change because, for so long, users had to contend with the smoky, foul –smelling smoke that was produced by tallow candles. Beeswax burned clean, with a pleasant smell.

However, since beeswax was hard to come by, they were quite expensive. Thus, beeswax candles were considered for the use of the very wealthy, royalty or religious ceremonies.

By the 13th century, candle making had become a profession. Candle makers, called chandlers, would use tallow to produce candles for use in households and as streetlights. Interestingly, chandlers also made items such as soaps, vinegar and cheese.

In colonial America, women at one time used wax from bayberries to make candles but this diminished in popularity since it took too many bayberries, and the process too tedious, to make an amount of wax viable for making candles. The mid 1800s ushered in major changes in candle making. For the first time since the Middle Ages, different types of wax for making candles were discovered.

There was "spermaceti,"made from sperm whale oil. Like beeswax, this type of wax burned cleanly and with minimal soot. Unlike beeswax and tallow candles though, spermaceti candles gave off brighter light and was harder than other types of waxes.

In the 1820s, French chemists Michel Eugene Chevreul (1786-1889) and Joseph-Louis Guy-Lussac extracted stearic acid from animal fatty acids, which led to the development of stearin wax, a harder type of wax. Candles were made from stearin wax for quite some time until the next giant leap in candle making occurred.

When paraffin was discovered in the 1850s as a byproduct of petroleum, it made a candle that was cheap, efficient and which was made from easily obtainable materials. It was eventually found that adding a little stearin wax made even harder candles that burned longer. The combination of paraffin and stearin became the standard formulation for candles in the years to come.

Paraffin candles are the white, glossy, almost transluscent candles that we all grew up with. They remain popular today in many areas of the globe with stearin wax candles still being used in Europe. Because of the mass production of candles, large companies were born – focused on the business of making candles.

However, history took another turn as different types of lighting evolved. Lamps became popular due to the distillation of kerosene. In addition, electricity was discovered and the light bulb invented, thereby making other forms of lighting obsolete or unnecessary.

What became of candles?

Today, candles may no longer be used for lighting but they are here to stay. Candles amazingly keep increasing in popularity.

Somewhere along the way, someone found that burning candles can bring out fragrance built into the wax. Today, they are used for decoration, for setting mood and ambience, and for the occasional power outage. Still being used in religious ceremonies, candles have also gained recognition as tools for meditation, relaxation and spiritual awakening.

In the 1980s and 90s, interest in candles pushed for the development of different waxes, shapes, sizes, scents, and forms of candles.

Entrepreneur and inventor Michael Richards began researching into alternative waxes, fragrances, and, even wicks, to make candles that can be enjoyed in any way a consumer wants. Richards developed soybean wax as the first alternative to paraffin wax and the more expensive beeswax.

Comparisons between paraffin wax and soy wax focus on questions about their benefits to health and the environment, while soybean wax trumped beeswax in terms of cost to produce and its sustainability as a resource. Other waxes such as vegetable wax, coconut oil wax and wax blends continue to be researched as the candle industry persists in its search for a better burning, more fragrant, healthier, candle.

Substances such as gels are also being used. Recently, there has been increased interest in using palm wax to make candles that burn well and that are kind to one's health and the environment.

All these: 3,000 years of discovery, invention, and innovation has turned the candle from a source of light to a source of an almost spiritual experience.

If you are a candle lover, isn't it interesting to know that candles have been used, loved and enjoyed for many centuries?

You are part of a long history of candle making that's made this unique item a vital part of human life. In our opinion, candles can offer you enjoyment, relaxation, beauty, magic and luxury all in one package.

These days, there are so many options for you to choose from, to usher in a myriad of candle experiences for you or for someone precious enough to give a gift of a beautiful, fragrant candle.

Source:

1) The National Candle Association, http://www.candles.org/about_history.html