Natural Rock Salt Lamp

·    The beauty and benefits of Himalayan Salt Lamps  are fueling a rapid growth in their popularity among people.  Unfortunately, all Himalayan Salt Lamps are NOT created equal.  As in any other unregulated industry, the quality of the products can vary greatly from one supplier to another.  A variety of factors, such as color, clarity, carver experience and fixtures, can have a significant impact on the quality and resulting price of a salt lamp.WBM international has been selling Himalayan Salt for many years and has had the opportunity to inspect the product offered by all of the major North American wholesalers.  This guide will share some of what we have found and give you an idea of what to look for, and the questions to ask, prior to committing to your salt lamp purchase. Himalayan Salt is mined by hand in the foothills of the Himalaya by the Pakistani government.  Contrary to the claims of some suppliers, there is no independent mining in this region.  Private manufacturers purchase salt of varying grades and hire local Artisans to carve the salt into lamps and candles.  The grade of salt used and the talent of the Artisan will have the greatest impact the quality of the product and the resulting price you pay for your Himalayan Salt Lamp:Salt in its purest form is white.  Salt from the Himalayas varies in color from pure white to deep red, with every shade of pink and peach in between.  This coloration is caused by iron infused within the salt crystals:  the redder the salt, the higher the iron content.  The most prized of these colors is a medium peach or pink and it is the color most sought after by the top manufacturers. .If you have a particular color preference, contact your seller prior to purchasing yourself lamp.  While a seller is limited by their current stock availability, they may be able to accommodate your color preference.

Size

Traditionally, salt lamps are sold by weight:  the heavier the lamp; the higher the price.  There are a few reasons for this.  A straight forward one is shipping cost.  It costs a great deal more to ship a 15 pound salt lamp from Pakistan to North America than it does a 5 pound salt lamp and this cost will be reflected in the price of your lamp.  Unfortunately, once you exceed about 20 pounds, the thickness and clarity of the salt often prevents a uniform, fully lit rock. Salt lamps emit negative ions.  It is one of the therapeutic qualities for which they are valued.  We won't get into the science of negative ions and the claims made about them here.  Suffice it to say, the amount of ions emitted by a lamp varies in direct proportion to the exposed surface area of the salt lamp:  the larger the surface area; the greater the output of negative ions

Clarity

Next to the color, the clarity of a salt lamp will have the greatest impact on its aesthetic value.  Clarity is determined by two factors:  the purity of the salt and the temperature at which the rock salt was formed.

·    Purity - The purity of salt throughout the Himalayan mines varies greatly.  A high mineral content, such as iron, can inhibit the distribution of light waves through the salt.  As purity has a such a large impact on the beauty of a lamp, the top manufacturer's carefully hand-pick their salt.

·    Temperature - Salt throughout the Himalayas was crystallized at varying temperatures.  Salt formed at a higher temperature has a clearer appearance than that formed at a lower temperature.  The salt formed in cooler conditions often has large, flaky deposits which do not allow light to penetrate.  Crystallized deposits are also very fragile and a salt lamp with large areas of these deposits can fracture easily.