05/06/2026
Gel candles may not be new, but the story behind Devonian Coast is very much our own. 🕯️🌊
Clear gel candles became especially popular in the 1990s, when transparent wax opened the door for candles that could showcase shells, sand, stones, color, and little decorative scenes. 🐚🪨
So no, gel candles are not a new idea. What matters is how an idea is carried out, what it is built around, and the story it tells.
Devonian Coast did not begin as a candle company. We began with a love for natural treasures.
Our first Etsy products in 2020 were hand polished Petoskey stones. From there, we created resin coasters using Michigan and Lake Superior finds. We were raised in Michigan, and we have always loved shorelines, fossils, minerals, and the stories held inside natural pieces. ✨
As we worked with the beautiful stones, fossils, and natural treasures of the shoreline, we kept looking for new ways to showcase them in a form people could admire and keep.
Our resin coasters were beautiful, and customers loved them. But there was one limitation: the treasure was permanently locked inside the resin.
Around that time, we were inspired by seeing candle makers use clear gel wax to create water scenes with sand, shells, and other decorative elements. We began experimenting with that medium as a way to showcase the same shoreline treasures we already loved working with, but in a way that allowed the keepsake to remain part of the experience.
It all started with a sand-bottomed Petoskey stone gel candle, with a genuine Petoskey stone placed front and center. We brought that candle to market in March 2023 at a time when no one else was selling a gel candle built around a genuine Petoskey stone. Treasured time stamps!
That original design became the starting point for many more Devonian Coast candles that soon followed.
Since then, Devonian Coast has grown into three distinct collections: Ancient Earth, Great Lakes, and Ocean. Each candle is carefully designed around a genuine natural treasure, from Petoskey stones and Lake Superior agates to fossils, minerals, shells, and sea glass.
Gel candles may be familiar. They may even feel nostalgic. But our focus has always been on the specimen, the story, and the keepsake left behind.
That is why we say:
Burn the candle. Keep the treasure! ™ 🕯️✨
Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way, from our first polished stones to the candles we make today. We are truly grateful.
There is room for many makers to create beautiful things, and we genuinely wish other creators success as they build their own stories too.
Stay tuned. Some amazing new retailers will soon be carrying Devonian Coast candles. 👀
