Copper Candle Holders & Candlesticks
Copper candlesticks and candle holders
No metal meets candlelight like copper: the yellow of the flame merges with the red of the metal and the room reads warmer. Single holders, multi-arm candlesticks and tealight models all sit in this category. Surfaces are left either polished bright or with an antique patina.
Copper candlesticks are made here the way they have always been made, raised and turned from sheet, then joined at the seam between stem and base and cleaned back by hand. The base is weighted or widened rather than filled, so the piece stands steady without cement hidden inside it. It also means an antique copper candle holder from this workshop can be repaired: a loosened joint is resoldered, not written off.
Which candle fits?
A standard taper socket measures 2.2 cm across, the common European dinner candle; each product page states the socket size. Tealight models take the standard 3.9 cm tealight. Multi-arm candlesticks hold three, five or seven candles and bring symmetry to the centre of a table. For thick pillar candles, choose a wide, rimless base.
- 2.2 cm socket: dinner and taper candles, the usual fit
- 3.9 cm well: tealights, about four hours of burn each
- Pillar plates: candles of 7 to 10 cm, on a base at least 2 cm wider than the candle
- Three, five and seven arm candlesticks: table centre, mantelpiece, ceremony
If a candle sits a touch loose in the socket, wrap its base in a strip of paper, or warm the socket in hot water and press the candle in as the metal cools. A candle that leans is a candle that drips.
Polished or antique finish?
Bright polished copper throws more light, since the metal reflects the flame back into the room, and it suits a modern table. The antique finish is copper darkened deliberately and then relieved on the raised edges, so the turned profile of the stem stays legible even in low light. It also stays as it is, with nobody having to polish it. Most buyers take antique for a mantelpiece and polished for a dining table.
Use and care
Copper warms as the candle burns, use a mat if you set it straight on a table. Do not scrape off dripped wax: hold the holder under hot water for a minute or two and the softened wax lifts away. Never leave a burning candle unattended, and keep it away from curtains. Dry the piece fully after cleaning.
