ABOUT
Chaya, pronounced Chāẏā, is a Bengali word meaning ‘shadow’. Chāẏā Candles brings my Bengali roots to the UK, delivering the best of both worlds: Scented soy wax candles inside hand-thrown terracotta pots.
Candles that light up your life
EAST MEETS WEST
Every part of the candle is handmade in London whilst the distinctive look of the terracotta clay – the rich brown, red and orange hues are inspired by the rural villages of Bangladesh. Being so close to each stage of the process ensures that every candle is of the highest quality and made with love.
I hope you enjoy these candles as much as I love making them.
Zakera
The handmade process
The vegetable wax leaves a soft, creamy appearance with a smooth finish. Cotton wicks ensure the candles burn cleanly. Recyclable packaging and materials have been used wherever possible.
The terracotta pot & lid
The terracotta clay is thrown on the potter’s wheel to make the pots. The lids are rolled out and cut to size. Once bone dry, the pots are packed in the kiln for bisque firing at 1000 degrees celsius.
The pots are then dipped in a transparent glaze and wiped before being repacked in the kiln for the earthenware glaze firing which is between 1160 and 1180 degrees celsius.
Each firing lasts about 36 hours, at which point the kiln is ready to unpack and the bases can be sanded with a carborundum.
All pots are made by Lucy Cobb in St Leonards-on-Sea.
The candle
Wicks made up of cotton and paper threads are secured into place inside the terracotta pots.
Soy wax is melted to the desired temperature. Fragrance oils are measured and stirred in with the wax, before being poured into the terracotta pots and left to solidify. Once set, the wax is topped up with a final pour to ensure there are no air bubbles.
The wax seal and box
Each wax seal is made by hand and gives a beautiful finish to the box.
Sealing wax is melted on a heat resistant surface. The wax stamp is firmly pressed into the sealing wax. After leaving to cool for few seconds, the stamp is pulled away to reveal the Chaya logo.
The wax stamp is placed on an ice pack and wiped of condensation before making the next one.
The terracotta pots are wrapped in a 100% recyclable protective paper, before being placed inside recyclable boxes and wrapped in branded paper.
