Salt for these votive candle holders is mined in the foothills of the Himalayas in what is called the salt range. It is a very ancient mining area and for millennia people have been mining the salt straight out of the layers of the salt in the mountain. That salt has traveled all the way to Europe on the one hand and China on the other hand. Sizes vary because this is a natural product. Each is unique in that no two salt layers are alike. The holder shows different color patterns and variations according to where the salt is mined.