My husband and I love Himalayan salt lamps. The first time we saw them, however, we both thought they were a little strange and wondered what mystical power they were purported to give by those who believe in such things. The white ones reminded me of Planet Krypton, which I vividly remembered seeing in Christopher Reeves' Superman in the theater as a child. I wondered what they were supposed to be used for, other than to sit in the corner of a darkened room looking mystical, earthy, and just plain decorative.
But when we saw an entire store of them in different shapes and forms, though the air in the store was as fresh and clean as that surrounding an effervescent cascade deep in the forest, supposedly as a result of having so many of the lamps lit, we decided that we would like to have oodles of them in our own home giving off that glorious peachy glow. So beautiful! Like watching a motionless fire. A blaze that doesn't flicker. And I wonder who, as I stare at them, first put a flame to a chunk of Himalayan salt and gazed upon that first glow. I'm sure it was some very cold nomad, thousands and thousands of years ago, who lit a fire near a wall of coral-hued salt and said, "Oooooo..."
My husband and I imagine having a library with dark wood bookshelves and puffy chairs and rugs with salt lamps illuminating every corner.
In the meantime, to appease our cave dwelling instincts, we have invested in a few of the lamps. Three are votive holders that were a steal because we purchased them from a gemstone dealer who had them on display as part of his rock show.
One is electrically lit and must weigh over ten pounds. Look at those colors!
It is claimed that salt lamps charge the air with postive energy and purify it. I don't know anything about such things. I keep air purifiers on all the time in our house, anyway, because my boys had asthma when they were younger, so I wouldn't know the difference. But those stores, the ones with two thousand salt rocks heated and glowing, are invigorating. I don't know if it's the salt lamps that do it or Febreeze. Probably industrial strength air purifiers working away out of sight. I don't know and I don't care. It's all about the glow, for me.
I do know that on humid days our large lamp, that is lit with a bulb, literally drips with moisture and has to be blotted dry.
The color that these chunks of minerals give off when lit is warm and easy on the eyes. I am very sensitive to "atmosphere" and this is the feel (look) I want from a room full of salt lamps. Just look at this room! Not ours, but we hope to add more to illuminate the cozy spaces or our home. My poor grandkids. I can hear them now, telling their friends about how crazy their hippie grandma is...who really isn't. Okay, maybe a little, but I still think incense stinks and it makes my nose itch.
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