If you love scented candles (I mean really, who doesn't?) then by now you must have seen the latest hot trend of putting genuine gemstones in scented candles. While this often looks great, is it actually safe?
Are Gemstone Candles Safe?
In short, no. It is very unsafe to burn a candle with any object in it, especially genuine gemstones.
Why are Gemstones in Candles Dangerous?
You may be thinking that gemstones are just rocks, so how could they possibly be dangerous in a scented candle? Well, all genuine gemstones are comprised of minerals and the chemical components of some of those minerals are toxic when ingested or inhaled. Some of them are deadly. You really don't want to burn these and inhale toxic chemicals.
In addition to the risk posed by naturally formed gemstones, the vast majority of gemstones sold today have been artificially altered through color treatments such as dyes or irradiating the gem. Yes, radiation.
For example, it is very common for Rose Quartz to be irradiated to improve its color. The vast majority of candle makers are small business owners and are not gemologists. They don't know what they don't know, and as a result they put highly toxic gemstones in their candles in the belief that they provide healing qualities.
Many gemstones have flaws. These flaws can cause the gemstones to fracture suddenly and quite literally explode, or can cause the heat to be distributed unevenly and cause the vessel to explode.
In addition to the safety issues, the addition of gemstones in candles also reduces the amount of candle wax and therefore the burn time of the candle.
Because we sell genuine gemstone jewelry and scented candles, we've been asked many times to produce candles with gemstones in them, and due to the safety issues associated with this dangerous practice we will never sell them.
You'll probably notice that none of the leading candle brands sell candles with foreign objects in them. The only people selling those types of dangerous candles are small independent candle makers who don't understand the danger of the product they are selling. This is why its important to purchase your scented candles from a reputable candle brand who has conducted thorough safety tests on their candles.
If you arrived here looking for candles with genuine gemstones in them, we hope that we've changed your mind. The best way to enjoy candles and gemstones together is to use them both separately.
