Scented Candle Glass Vessel — Empty Glass Candle Cups in Two Profiles

Engineered for candle brands and contract fillers, our rigid glass vessels are supplied strictly bare-without wax, wicks, lids, or accessories. Produced via precision press-and-blow molding, each vessel features a trimmed, fire-polished rim and is rated as a self-standing container for poured wax or gel fills.

Annealing is critical to vessel integrity: unreleased stress from improper cooling leads to delayed thermal cracking long after the pour. Through continuous lehr processing, we eliminate residual internal stress before shipment, ensuring high thermal resistance during line filling and stable long-term display.

A note on the top figure: the largest stock vessel in this range holds roughly 285 g of wax. Loads above that - up to 400 g - are achievable on a custom body shape, which is a tooling conversation rather than a stock selection.

Two body profiles are offered as standard tooling. Both are shown side by side in our product photography.

Capacity is measured to the intended fill line, not to the rim. The fill line sits 8–12 mm below the rim, leaving headroom for a wick assembly and preventing wax overflow during the melt pool stage.

Capacity to wax weight. Candle brands sell by wax weight, not by millilitres, so here is the conversion for a typical soy or paraffin wax at roughly 0.9 g/ml:

Treat these as starting figures. Gel and coconut-blend waxes run at different densities, and a heavy fragrance load changes the figure slightly. We confirm the exact fill line against your specific wax before sampling, because a vessel that is 10 g short of the label claim is a compliance problem in several markets.

• Rim & Base Construction The vessel rim features a fire-polished, smooth single-radius edge-completely free of sharp lips or burrs-providing a clean contact surface for wick-centering tools and press-fit lids. At the bottom, a flat-ground base with a shallow punt guarantees stability, while remaining unfrosted on decorated models to ensure bottom labels and molded marks stay clearly legible.
   
• Precision Wall Tolerances Wall thickness is strictly maintained within ±0.4 mm of nominal across the entire vessel height. This dimensional tolerance prevents localized hot spots and ensures a predictable melt-pool behavior during burn, delivering the precise volumetric consistency contract fillers demand.

Two glass types cover the whole range. Selection depends on the pour temperature of the candle and the merchandising position of the product.

Soda-Lime Glass (SL-01) - The Default Choice

Soda-lime is the industry workhorse for candle vessels: the best balance of clarity, weight and cost, and the material behind almost all of the shapes in our standard tooling.

• Forming: press-and-blow, which gives good dimensional control on the rim and base.
• Thickness range: 3.0 – 4.5 mm. Thicker wall is available on request for a heavier hand-feel, up to 6.0 mm on straight-sided profiles.
• Colour: essentially clear. On thick sections a very faint green edge appears, which is normal for soda-lime and is not a defect.
• Thermal limit: roughly 40 – 60 °C differential.

Borosilicate Glass (BS-03) - High-Temperature and Premium

Borosilicate carries a much lower coefficient of thermal expansion, which makes it far more forgiving of rapid temperature change and localised heat.

• Thermal limit: roughly 100 – 120 °C differential, roughly double soda-lime. This suits hot-pour waxes, gel candles and any process where the melt is poured hot into a cold cup.
• Clarity: near colourless across the full wall thickness, with no green edge. The visually cleanest option, and it photographs noticeably better in e-commerce imagery.
• Cost and MOQ: roughly 35 – 60 % higher unit cost than soda-lime at the same size. Tooling and MOQ rules are unchanged.
• Weight: a borosilicate cup of the same capacity is 8 – 12 % lighter, since a thinner wall achieves the same strength.
• Recommendation: specify SL-01 for standard soy and paraffin programmes; step up to BS-03 where the pour is hot, the candle is refillable, or the shelf position is premium.

Thermal Shock Limits & Safe Operating Guidelines

Thermal shock resistance is measured strictly as a temperature differential (ΔT)-the gap between the wax pour temperature and the vessel temperature at filling. For example, pouring 80°C wax into a 20°C vessel creates a ΔT of 60°C. Standard soy and paraffin pours (60°C - 80°C) into room-temperature soda-lime glass push directly against its maximum safe limit.

To maintain a reliable safety margin and eliminate hot-pour fractures on your line, implement these three standard operating practices:

1. Pre-heat Vessels: Holding vessels at 30°C - 40°C prior to fill reduces ΔT by roughly half, making it the most cost-effective line safeguard.
2. Angled Discharge: Direct wax down the vessel inner wall rather than pooling directly onto the base center to avoid localized thermal stress.
3. Avoid Cold Stocks: Vessels brought directly from cold winter storage cause latent stress cracks that manifest hours after setting. Allow cold inventory to equilibrate to ambient temperature before filling.

Note: If your production line cannot ensure these process controls, specify our borosilicate range (BS-03) for higher thermal margin.

Recycled and Regenerated Glass

Recycled glass cullet can be blended into the soda-lime batch on request, typically at 30 – 60 % post-consumer content.

Recycled glass is a strong fit for eco-positioned brands. Because the tint varies batch to batch, we recommend confirming a colour standard before tooling is cut.

For opaque effects, the glass can be coloured in the batch rather than sprayed afterwards. This produces a permanent, chip-resistant colour that will not rub off.

Body-coloured glass and surface decoration are normally not combined on the same cup: the colour already provides the visual effect, and a print or spray on top will not read cleanly. Choose one route.

Four decoration families cover the range. All four are applied to the exterior wall only; the interior is always left bare so that nothing interferes with the wax, the fragrance or the flame.

Decoration options at a glance

• Hot-Stamp & Heat-Transfer Metallic Band Metallic foil is transferred under heat and pressure to deliver a mirror-bright finish with crisp edge definition (±0.5 mm tolerance). Available in glossy or matte finishes across gold, champagne gold, rose gold, silver, and copper. Heights range from 3 mm to full-body coverage in 1 mm increments. The foil layer resists flaking during handling and offers a striking premium contrast when paired with a frosted body. Care: Wipe clean with a soft damp cloth; avoid scrubbing or soaking.
   
• Frosted Sandblast A fine mechanical abrasive treatment that converts clear glass into a smooth satin-matte finish with soft light diffusion. Available in full-body or selective coverage, with a clear rim and base ring being the most popular option for lid fit and label visibility. The frost reduces flame hotspots to create an even, glowing wall when lit. Because it alters the glass surface directly rather than using a coating, it will not peel, fade, or wash off, and is dishwasher safe.
   
• Pearlescent Spray An exterior pearlescent lacquer that provides an iridescent, color-shifting shimmer under changing light angles (available in pearl white, pink, gold, and blue-violet). Offered in full-body or gradient spray styles with semi-transparent or opaque coverage. Spraying pearl over a light frosted base creates the deepest, most uniform shimmer. Care: Wipe clean only; not suitable for scrubbing or prolonged soaking.
   
• Silk-Screen Color Band Cured inks screen-printed directly onto the glass with Pantone color matching and tight multi-pass registration (±0.3 mm). Configurable as single or multiple rings, or full-body blocks, with glossy, matte, or metallic inks. The ink is heat-cured and bonded to the glass surface, making it durable and residential dishwasher safe. Multi-process combinations, such as pairing a printed ring with a hot-stamped foil band, are available upon request.

Decoration Selection Guide

Ink-to-glass colour note: colours shift when printed on clear, frosted or coloured glass. Always approve a physical pre-production sample against the target colour rather than a screen rendering.

MOQ

Minimum order quantity: 20,000 pieces per size, per decoration.

What the MOQ covers

The 20,000-piece minimum reflects the setup economics of each step: mould amortisation on a new body shape or capacity where tooling does not already exist; print and foil plate setup for silk-screen, hot-stamp or heat-transfer; sandblast masking for a selective frost pattern; and colour matching for body-coloured glass and Pantone-matched ink.

Where a design reuses existing tooling and an existing decoration plate, the minimum can in some cases be reviewed. Discuss your target with the sales team before assuming a lower volume is possible - and equally, before assuming 20,000 is unavoidable.

Sampling and lead time

Production lead time starts from the date the pre-production sample is approved in writing, not from the date the order is placed.

Export Packaging Specifications

• Standard Export Packing Vessels are individually separated by inner grid dividers to prevent rim-to-body contact, then packed into heavy-duty 5-layer corrugated master cartons (typically 48–96 pcs per carton depending on vessel size and wall thickness; exact packing counts are confirmed upon order). Cartons are palletized to standard export sizes or custom buyer specifications.
   
• Custom Packaging Options Custom retail-ready packaging-including individual gift boxes, high-density foam inserts, or custom presentation packs-is available upon request for an additional fee.

• Quality Inspection & AQL All production batches are subject to AQL 2.5 inspection for cosmetic and dimensional compliance. Batch-specific full inspection reports are issued upon request.
   
• Annealing & In-Use Safety Because residual stress causes delayed thermal cracking on filling lines or store shelves, every production batch undergoes a strict, temperature-controlled annealing schedule with stress testing performed prior to release.
   
• Safety & Compliance Statement Our vessels are manufactured from inert, non-combustible glass engineered to safely hold wax loads up to the designated fill line. Please note that candle safety certification-including flame height, wick performance, burn behavior, and fire-safety labeling-depends entirely on the filler's wax formulation and wick selection. If your target market requires specific regulatory documentation, contact us with your requirements for confirmation.

Separate Supply Notice Lids are not included as standard; vessels ship bare without lids or closures. Compatible metal or glass lids are available as a separate line item upon request. To ensure a precise fit, please provide your lid technical drawings to confirm compatibility with the chosen vessel's rim diameter.

Key Technical Considerations

• Rim Decoration Clearance: Confirm that any top-edge decoration (such as a metallic rim band) maintains the required clearance along the sealing area.
• Functional Requirements: Specify whether your product requires a simple dust cover for retail display or a fitted, airtight seal for fragrance retention, as these require different component designs and rim tolerances.