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Metal Candle Holders an Antique Collector’s Dream

Metal candle holders offer antique collectors and decorators unique pieces of art for the home while being functional as well. Hand Crafted metal candle holders are popular among artisan collectors for the varied material they are made of. For decorators, metal candle holders make a perfect tool for decorating any room of the house. Metal candle holders are also great decorations for the holidays to dress up the table or fireplace mantel.

The art of making candle holders started out as a necessity when candles provided the only source of light in homes. These early examples of metal candle holders remain prized possessions for those who collect candle holders and antiques. During the Colonial period metal candle holders were used for lighting the home and for telling time. One story tells of a spiral shaped metal Candle Holder that was used when a young girl would have her boyfriend visit the family home. The candle holder held a long tapered candle and would be lit when the boy arrived at the house. When the candle burned down to a certain length, the girl’s suitor was expected to leave. Old examples of metal candle holders were usually made of forged iron or heavy tin. Many of these collectible pieces still exist today and are relatively inexpensive to collect.

Although metal candle holders were once a necessity, they now serve more as beautiful pieces of art in décor in homes all around the world. Metal candle holders, whether made with a simple tin can or forged iron are also practical because they are much more durable and less prone to breakage. Most wrought iron metal candle holders can be purchased relatively inexpensively. Metal candle handles can also be found adorned with ornate decorations such as beaded chains, crystals and other gems.

Candle holders made out of metal are crafted from a wide variety of metal materials including bronze, iron, brass, sterling silver, aluminum, silver, steel and wrought iron. The sizes of metal candle holders vary as well, according to their intended use. Some candle holders are large and hold many candles that can light up an entire room. Others are smaller types designed to hold one tapered candle. Less popular, but still very desirable among decorators are forged iron candelabras.

Metal candle holders made of iron are very popular as decorative pieces today. These candle holders are often made by hand or are of forged or hammered iron. These handcrafted items offer quality, durability, uniqueness, and value. Artisans who make these metal candle holders out of iron make these pieces one at a time using the centuries old process of heating the metal in fire and hammering it into the desired shape or configuration.

Metal candle holders can be found all over the world. New pieces are easily located at almost any store that carries decorative items for the home. Both large and small metal candle holders are made in all shapes and sizes. Look for handmade metal candle holders at arts and crafts fairs where artisans sell their unique pieces of art.

Most Popular Types of Candles

It is no wonder that candles are so popular. These simple light sources create a romantic setting in seconds. However, candles are also used in aromatherapy, to create a pleasant scent, or just to add a decorative element to a room. Candles can even be used in religious ceremonies and weddings.

One of the most popular types of candles is the Pillar Candle. These candles are cylinder shaped and are made with wax. They are usually scented. People use these versatile candles to create a relaxing ambiance in the bath, a romantic ambiance in the bedroom, and a pleasant atmosphere in the dining room. Pillar Candles are also frequently personalized to commemorate important events, such as a child’s christening or a wedding.

The Taper Candle is used to add some soft lighting at the dining room table. These candles are designed to fit easily into traditional candlesticks and burn slowly for several hours. They also are used in standard wall sconces.

Votive Candles are small candles, but they are usually grouped together to make a big impact. You can use votive candles in lanterns or decorative candle holders, but you should never burn them without having them contained in some way, since they are short and could burn down quickly before you notice that the flame has almost reached the furniture surface.

Floating Candles are the ideal way to create a beautiful centerpiece. Having candles float in water is beautiful, since the flames reflect on the water’s surface, but also is a great way to burn them safely.

Jar Candles are Scented Candles made with high quality paraffin or soy. These candles can really make a room smell wonderful. Soy Candles are a bit more costly than paraffin candles, but burn more cleanly.

Finally, since candles have an open flame, they can be dangerous to use. To keep your home safe while you are enjoying your candles, there are a few simple tips you may want to follow.

1. Never leave a burning candle unattended.
2. Always use some sort of candle holder. They will help protect furniture from dripping wax.
3. Consider using a candle shade to reduce soot from candle flames.
4. To enjoy scented candles without worrying about an open flame, try candle warmers. The Candle Warmer heats an unlit Jar Candle from beneath to release the scent. When you use a candle warmer, you will also help your candles last much longer than candles that are burned.

Soy Candles versus Beeswax Candles

Soy candles replace the usage of beeswax or paraffin with Soy Wax (a hydrogenated soybean oil). Soy candles were created for the first time in 1992 by Michael Richards, he was searching for a cheaper and better alternative to beeswax.

Scented Soy Candles are also much appreciated on the market because the combination of some aromatic oil or essence with the wax will produce very high quality candles that burn much more slowly than the paraffin ones, and without releasing the unpleasant burning smell that cheap candles do. Now they can be found in any supermarket, however, for special candle types try decoration shops.

Advantages of soy candles

If we compare soy wax to paraffin several advantages are obvious: soy wax is the missing element between the cheap or unpleasant paraffin candles and the high quality, expensive beeswax alternative. The soy candles are 100% natural and recyclable, this material is preferred by many environmentalists, their strongest motivation is that it is not made from oil, like paraffin, and also has a decent price, much lower than beeswax.

Another plus for soy candles is that they burn 50% longer when compared to paraffin solutions, soy wax is much easier to clean when comparing to other alternatives; with some hot water and soap you can remove any unpleasant spot.

Another big advantage over paraffin candles is that soy wax produces less soot; in fact this is reduced with almost 90%. If you follow the doctor's advice that soot is very unhealthy, better seriously consider buying soy candles next time. Another issue generated by paraffin soot comes from the fact that health problems inflicted by paraffin candle soot are not covered by insurance agencies. When speaking about scented candles I must point out that soy wax solutions spread scent more rapidly.

Do people really buy soy candles?

To answer this question we should consider some Soy Candle retailers' opinions, they say that beeswax, soy and Gel Candles are selling much better than their cheaper petroleum alternatives, the primary reason is that they are non-toxic, burn more slowly, they don't produce allergies or breathing problems, and they clean up very easily. Last but not least, they are more children oriented.

Some doctors say that burning paraffin candles is similar to a smaller scale to burning diesel fuel in a room. Even the scented candles used in different aroma-therapies can do more harm than good. All this being said I think it is very clear why many people prefer buying quality candles.