Georgian Candle Holders
Georgian candle holders are lighting pieces made from brass, gunmetal, bell metal, copper, and silver plate that bring period character to any room.
What Georgian candle holders are
When you search for georgian candle holders, you find candlesticks dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. These pieces display forms such as petal bases and telescopic designs.
You are most likely to meet pairs of candlesticks made from brass or silver plate on this page. The selection includes examples originating from the Georgian period and the George III era.
The inventory also includes bell metal and gunmetal pieces alongside metal alloy items. These functional objects served to hold candles for interior lighting before electric illumination.
How they were made
Maker techniques include seaming, seen in early bell metal candlesticks constructed around seventeen-forty. Metalworking methods of the period also involved casting brass and shaping metal alloys into decorative petal bases.
Silver plating was applied to base metals to mimic solid silver items. Telescopic mechanisms were engineered into brass pieces such as Harrison Patent designs to adjust height.
Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical UK retail prices for georgian candle holders, calculated from the Sellingantiques database of over a million retail prices indexed since 2003. This retail price guide relies exclusively on Sellingantiques data; no external sources or auction records are used, so the figures do not describe the wider market.
One past listing snuck in disguised as a desk, proving that even a humble pine writing surface sometimes needed a place to hold its light.
What varies in quality
Quality differences lie in the choice of metal and the complexity of construction, distinguishing standard utilitarian items from sophisticated engineering like telescopic mechanisms. Seamed construction in early bell metal indicates specific period manufacturing standards.
The presence of recognizable patents, such as Harrison Patent designs, elevates the interest of a piece above generic metal alloy alternatives.
Harrison Patent
The Georgian Candle Holders Glossary
- Bell metal
- An alloy of copper and tin used for casting early candlesticks. It produces a resonant tone when struck.
- Gunmetal
- A type of bronze originally used for ordnance, utilised in this category for dark-hued candlesticks. It provides robust durability.
- Silver plate
- A thin layer of silver fused to a base metal core. This technique offered the appearance of solid silver at a lower cost.
- Telescopic
- A mechanical design allowing the stem to extend and retract. Harrison Patent examples demonstrate this adjustable functionality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What materials are Georgian candle holders made from?
These items are constructed from brass, gunmetal, bell metal, copper, and silver plate. Metal alloys were also utilised during the period.
Different metals reflect distinct manufacturing choices and periods, ranging from early eighteenth-century bell metal to later nineteenth-century brass engineering.
How do telescopic Georgian candlesticks work?
Telescopic pieces feature an inner stem that slides up and down within the main column. This mechanism allowed users to adjust the height of the light source.
Designs like the Harrison Patent incorporate this adjustable function into brass candlesticks.
How can I identify an eighteenth-century candlestick?
Eighteenth-century examples often feature seamed construction in materials like bell metal, or distinct forms such as petal bases. Dating relies on stylistic cues and manufacturing methods typical of the Georgian era.
Checking for period-appropriate construction marks helps separate eighteenth-century work from later nineteenth-century reproductions.
Were these items sold as pairs?
Many listings consist of matched pairs designed to sit symmetrically on a mantelpiece or table. Single items also appear from time to time.
Pairs offer a balanced display, reflecting how domestic lighting was arranged in period interiors.