Is it me or were pearl candles a rare sight back in the day? Apart from the bigger 45mm twisted varieties, I don't think I ever saw a pearl plain 35mm candle?

Indeed, right from the time that Britain adopted this originally so-called Continental Candle (the 35mm version), the UK manufacturers seemed to quit making pearl types and change exclusively to the Silverlight coating, or clear. Rest of Europe meanwhile hardly offered the coated types at all, and only offered Pearl or Clear.

Luxram was in the past a brand name of Philips I beleive.

Indeed, Luxram was taken over by Philips in 1965. It was originally a small independent company based in Rochester, with one factory for making GLS lamps of 15-1500W, and another factory that built lampmaking machinery which was sold to many of the bigger companies even until quite recently. Philips promptly shut the lamp factory and thereafter supplied Luxram branded lamps out of its own works at Hamilton. I expect that this candle was probably made at Hamilton.

So, I guess that Tungsram and Luxram are not related then?