Beeswax and its properties

How beeswax is made

Beeswax is produced by young worker bees. They secrete it from wax glands on the underside of the abdomen as tiny flakes. From these they build the honeycomb: hexagonal cells in which they store honey and pollen and raise their brood.

Producing wax costs a colony a great deal of energy. That is why beeswax is a precious material, and candles made from it are among the most valued.

Colour and scent

The colour of beeswax ranges from pale cream through honey yellow to deep amber. It depends on the plants the bees gathered from and on the age of the combs. No dyes are needed.

The same goes for the scent: pure beeswax smells gently of honey all by itself. When burning, the scent is subtle — it does not overpower the aroma of food or of your home.

Beeswax, paraffin or soy?

• Paraffin is the most common and cheapest candle material. It is made from crude oil.
• Soy wax is plant-based and softer, and is often used in scented candles in glass.
• Beeswax is a natural product of bees. It is harder, has a higher melting point and its own colour and scent.

Thanks to its higher melting point, a beeswax candle tends to be stable and usually burns more slowly than a candle of the same size made from a softer wax.

The white bloom is not a flaw

Over time, a fine whitish film may appear on candles made from pure beeswax. Beekeepers and candle makers call it wax bloom, and it is typical of genuine beeswax. Simply buff it with a soft cloth and the candle regains its sheen.

From beeswax to a handmade candle

Beeswax is the foundation of my candles and one of the reasons this work is so special to me.

I get pure beeswax through a beekeeping shop near Pardubice that is connected with local beekeeping. This is where the journey of the material begins, the material I go on to work with and turn with my own hands into finished candles.

What speaks to me about beeswax is its natural character and its bond with nature. Each candle comes into being gradually, with care for its form and its final finish.

I value the work that lies already behind the material itself, and the chance to give it a new form.

Natural material. Handmade creation. Joy that lights up.
That is JANTAROVÁ VČELA.