Hazel Tealight Holder with Semi-Precious Stones | TLH-008

A piece of spalted windfall hazel with seams of Turquoise and Purple Sugilite set into the natural cracks.

A piece of hazel I found on the ground at the 100 Acer Conservation Project in the Cotswolds, where I coppice and forage most of my wood. Nothing was cut for it; it had already come down on its own and had been left long enough for spalting to occur. I've left the natural form of the branch, including the Y-fork, and set four tealight wells along its length. The cracks and fissures that came with the wood haven't been hidden — I've filled them with a mix of Cornish and Mexican turquoise and purple sugilite, set in resin and sanded back flush, so the veins of stone run between the wells and follow the wood's own lines. The stones come from a long-established crystal specialist in Glastonbury who has spent his life collecting stones and crystals; Cornish turquoise (the lighter stone), Mexican turquoise (darker in colour) and South African purple sugilite are selected for their colour. One of the wells carries the Bough & Burrow mark fire branded into the wood. The surface is lightly torched to bring out the grain and sanded to over 1000 grit, then finished the same way as all my work: 100% natural Danish oil and several coats of natural beeswax. It takes four standard tealights and throws a low, warm light across a table or windowsill — the kind of thing that earns its place lit on a winter evening, or just sitting there in daylight as a bit of natural sculpture. Being a found branch, it's genuinely one of a kind; the shape, the spalting and the stone fills are particular to this piece and won't be repeated. Care: Use proper tealights in their metal cups and don't leave any candle unattended. Wipe clean with a dry or barely damp cloth — no solvents or polish, as these will lift the oil and wax finish. An occasional rub of beeswax will keep it fed. Keep out of prolonged direct sun to preserve the colour of the wood and stone.