A Few Facts About Candle Making Wax And Candles Through The Long March Of Time

Posted by Sarah Wilson on November 29th, 2009

The fascinating history of candle making wax and candles themselves speaks to the utter success of this form of lighting through pretty much 99% of human civilization. Candle making itself seems to have been a technology that sprung up simultaneously on many different continents and many different countries throughout history, with candles possibly being as old as 5000 years.

The Egyptians seem to have been the first civilization to use actual beeswax in the production of candles. In China, the Qin Dynasty — in power from 221 to 206 BC — took whale fat and used it to make their own candles. Early Japanese civilization made candles from insects and seeds that were crushed and rolled up into paper and used as the primary light source.

Simultaneously, civilizations in India were making candle wax by boiling cinnamon and then shaping candles that were used in various temples. Over in this country, certain peoples living up in the Pacific Northwest region took the oil of a eulachon, or candlefish, and fused it in order to produce a wax which was used as a candle. In Italy, excavations in Pompeii show that candles were also widely used.

Throughout much of the history of the candle and the wax that comprises it, it was the bee that provided much of the material for its production. In fact, beeswax is still in wide use as a quality wax in candles that are natural or organic in nature. Nowadays, the term “beeswax” is applied to any wax that has properties similar to the real thing.

There are numerous types of candle making wax it can be put to good use. Some involve taking the secretions from plants or animals while others are created through the use of purified petroleum. The other most common type of wax is what is known as paraffin. This, too, is also a wax derived from petroleum processing and is of the same class of naturally-occurring waxes.

One of the more interesting highlights about wax used in candle making is that it’s been around since antiquity in one form or another. It has also been used by many civilizations to create casts which were used to craft fine gold and silver jewelry and other objects by many of these civilizations. Over in this country, another substance used to make candles was tallow, a hard animal fat excellent for such usage.

The second patent ever granted in the country was for a new technique in the making of candles and the candle making wax used in the technique. The year was 1790, and within 45 years mass production of candles from industrialized processes was the norm. Today, candle making is considered more of an art and craft in most parts of the world rather than a necessity, which it used to be at one time.

Find out more about candle making wax by heading online. You can find out about soy candle wax as well as a variety of other choices. Get all your information now!