Gemaura Candles launched in December last year and are proving a huge hit with our customers. Designed by our very own Jainey Bennett, she shares with us the story behind their creation and what the future holds for her next candle projects.
Why gemstone candles?
Candles have been a part of my life since I don’t know when. Every day I light candles around the house. When I’m at home, even during the day, there will always be a candle (or four!) burning brightly.
To me, candles are hugely relaxing. Forgetting the fragrances for a moment, just the flicker of a burning candle can have me mesmerised in minutes. I find them such a stress release and can literally feel so much more relaxed just minutes after lighting one.
My other passion is gemstones. Obviously I love wearing them, but I’ve dedicated a lot of time in the last few years to studying gemstone healing, which has made me fall in love with gemstones all over again.
Gemaura Candles came to light one day whilst I was soaking in my bath. I had my candles burning around my bath as usual and some gemstone crystals in the bath and I thought what I would like was a candle that had gemstones in them that gently float in the wax as you burn the candle. This seemed the ideal way to combine my two passions. Gemaura by Gemporia was then born.
Designing the candles
I worked for nearly a year designing the candles. The first thing that I considered was the wax. I wanted it to be all natural, so I decided against paraffin wax. I also insisted on cotton wicks and essential oil fragrances. That way I was assured that the candle was all natural and would burn cleanly.
The glass jar was the next consideration. I needed it to be thick enough to be durable but thin enough to see the flicker of the flame through it. I also used a seal for the top of the jar with a silicone ring to fit snugly. The lid becomes quite fragrant and I actually use these in my clothes drawers at home, but you can also use them as coasters to put the candle jar on.
Packaging was also a very important part of the candle purchase. I didn’t want to compromise on this either, the boxes that we have made are durable and solid. This means that you are assured that the candle will arrive with you safely, but it also means they make ideal gifts. Most importantly, they are biodegradable.
Of course, the biggest consideration are the gemstones that we use. I match the crystal healing properties of the gem with the feeling I want the candle to create. For example, for our Christmas Magic Candle, I used Ethiopian Opal. The magic of this stone is its play of color, which was a perfect match for the greens, reds and golds of Christmas time. From a healing point of view, Ethiopian Opal is said to transform a depressed, negative mood into a joyous one, which made it perfect for our Christmas Magic Candle.
Fragrance is then matched to the gemstones. I use essential oils and mix them until I get the perfect result. Some fragrances are more potent than others, so some candles will appear to be stronger in fragrance than others. Each candle fragrance to wax ratio is always the same at 10%. This ensures that enough is used to give ambient fragrance but is not overly strong.
Once we’d created individual candles, it made sense to group them into ranges. The first, most obvious choice was Christmas because the candles make such a wonderful gift to give to others, as well as to buy for yourself. Our Signature Range will be the ones that you will be able to buy on a regular basis, these are the Black Spinel/Jasmine and the Tanzanite/Vanilla. Then of course there are many other Limited Edition candles that we will be releasing during the year: Valentine’s Candles, St Patrick’s Day/Good Luck Candle, Mother’s Day Candles, Seasons Candles and lots of other special ones that we will reveal soon!
Taking Care of your Candles
I have also created our wonderful ‘3 Tool Candle Accessory Kit’. This kit will help you to take care of your candles and produce the optimum burn time. Our 200g Candles have a burn time of 30-50 hours. This is a broad range because it really does matter how well they are looked after.
The first thing to remember is to keep your wick length at 1/8th of an inch. When you receive your candle it will more than likely need trimming immediately before you begin. Trimming it to the correct length will ensure that the flame is not too large, because a large flame will create more heat and burn your wax quicker.
The next thing to consider is where to put your candle. Try and keep it away from any draughts, or even in a place where people will constantly walk past it. A draught will cause too much flicker, which will cause the wax to melt quicker. So what we are after is a nice steady tear shape flame.
Extinguishing your candles correctly will also keep your wax in tip top condition. Blowing your candle out may cause the wax to slosh up the sides of the jar. What we need to do it extinguish is without blowing. Using a bell tool will allow you to do this easily. Just hold the bell over the flame (don’t touch the wax) and let it extinguish itself.
I have added into the kit my favorite piece of all, the dipper. If you prefer your candle to not release any smoke when extinguished, you can use this tool to dip your wick into the wax and fold it back up, coating your wick in a layer of protective wax. Also, some people meditate with candles and choose to ‘set intentions’ with their candle, which is a way to focus what you want your candle to do for you. The dipper tool is perfect for this, because it will ensure no smoke is generated, making it ideal for keeping the intention alive and it won’t feel like you are blowing the intention away.
Meditation using a Gemstone Candle
If you want to meditate with your candle, I have added an ‘affirmation’ on the back of our Birthstone Candles. This is a simple mantra to focus your meditation on. These reflect the properties of the particular gemstone. You may wish to use the one I’ve written, or you can create one for yourself. The most important thing is to focus your mind on something simple for a few minutes every day, which you may find beneficial.
I really hope that you enjoy our candle collections. If you want to be one of the first to know about new releases, you can sign up for our Homewares emails to get all the latest news.
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