Luxury candles are so expensive. Candles are very old. They were first invented thousands of years ago, millennia before electricity was discovered and definitely way before the light bulb was first invented. However, they are still very relevant in the present day and age. Although, the sales and demand for candles faced notable decline decades ago, today, the global candle industry is worth billions of dollars. This is because of the rising growth in demand for candles in the last few decades. However, not all candles cost the same amount of money. Some are more expensive than others; we’re talking about luxury candles.
WHY DO CANDLES HAVE SUCH A WIDE PRICE RANGE?
Candles come in different sizes, which include votive candles, tea light candles, filled candles, pillar candles and taper candles. They vary according to diameter and height; with tea light candles being 1 ½ inches in diameter and ¾ – 1 inches in height, votive candles being 1 – 2 inches in diameter and 2 – 3 inches in height, filled candle being 4 inches in diameter and 3 ¼ inches in height, pillar candles being 2 – 4 inches and 3 – 9 inches in height, taper candles being ½ – 3 inches and 6 – 18 inches in height. Asides these, there are other kinds of candles such as the flameless kinds that come in all sizes and all heights. The differences between candles doesn’t just extend to the sizes and shapes, it also extends to the types of materials used in making them.
Candles are made up of two main parts, which are the candle wax and the candle wick. Candle wax is that part of the candle that is made of fuel materials that have some degree of flammability, which makes them able to support flames. The simple mechanism of candles is this: the flames on the lit wick melt the wax sufficiently until it is in melted liquid form. Once the wax is in this melted form, it becomes easy for the wick to absorb it and use it to sustain the flame. And then, this sustained flame goes on to melt even more wax that feeds the flames and this process repeats itself over and over again, until the entire candle is exhausted. There are different kinds of materials used in making candle wax and each of them has their own unique properties and characteristics. These materials have different prices, thereby widening the price range of candles.
WHY ARE LUXURY CANDLES SO EXPENSIVE?
Luxury candles are high grade candles that are made from high quality and high grade materials. Candles of this caliber are usually very expensive because of the type of materials and ingredients used in making them, such materials include:
- Candle wax of good quality
The type of candle wax used in making luxury candles is usually of very good quality, with suitable melting properties. Also, the wax tends to be made from materials that do not bend or break easily when the candle is lit and under use. This kind of materials include beeswax – one of the best and longest- lasting type of candle waxes out there – soy wax, paraffin wax or combinations of these kinds of waxes along with other types. Also, asides the type and grades o f candle wax used in making luxury candles, the process or procedure used in making these waxes also matter. For instance, luxury candles are usually made with special care, therefore, the kind of waxes they are made from usually well processed. These waxes are usually mixed, melted and prepared at the right temperatures (using thermometers as tools of measurement); these processes are carefully carried out to reduce the risk of bubble formation, which will reduce the quality of the candle formed, at the end of the candle making process.
- Coloring agents or pigments of high quality
Another reason why luxury candles are so expensive is that they tend to contain additional ingredients such as colors, or bleaching agents of some sort in order to regulate their physical appearance. Based on color, there are two different types of candles: colored candles and uncolored candles. Colored candles are candles that contain some kind of coloring agent or pigment, which – in the case of luxury candles – tend to be of very high quality.
Colored luxury candles tend to contain coloring pigments that do not increase the melting point of the candles during burning. Coloring pigments or coloring agents have a nasty habit of burning hot within candles, no matter how well they have been mixed into the candle wax, during the candle-forming process. As a result of this, colored candles have a tendency to burn or melt much faster than other kinds of candles when lit. However, because luxury candles have a high reputation of being of high quality, the types of coloring agents used in making them must also be of high quality; they must be able to burn properly, at a steady rate, without exhibiting any of the fast-burning/fast-melting properties that typical dyes or coloring agents have in normal colored candles. Consequently, the types of dyes or coloring agents used in making colored luxury candles are usually expensive, compared to typical dyes. This expense also tends to reflect in the price of the products, thereby resulting in the general remark that luxury candles are expensive.
Also, the dye pigments used in making colored luxury candles are able to mix very well with the melted candle wax in order to form a perfect mixture, without any form of graininess.
- Fragrance/ perfumes of high quality
Many luxury candles contain scents and this makes them good tools for aromatherapy. However, the kinds of fragrances or perfumes used in making this kind of candles are usually of very high quality. This is important because the quality of added fragrances can influence the properties of candles; and those of very high quality tend to also be very expensive, which has a resultant effect on the type – and price – of luxury candle formed.
