Posted on August 27 2026
It’s no secret that chandelier chain is our #1 seller; our gold finishes being some of our top options. The rich warmth of gold is classy, timeless and inviting – truly fit for all the eras of life your home will see you through.
We carry many variations of gold finishes like Polished Brass, Acid Dipped and Champagne Gold. Because gold is such a varietal finish, we often discuss with our clients how best to choose the right finish.
In this article, we are going to explain these differences and how they play in choosing hardware that’s best for your projects.
Materials
When we discuss materials, we are talking about the material used to cast the chain – which is often different from the finish that it appears to be. The first thing we need to understand about gold finishes is that they can be achieved on almost any material. For example, Polished Brass can be achieved on steel by using plating. The 4 materials we carry are Brass, Iron, Steel and Stainless-Steel.
Using different materials to achieve gold finishes can help with longevity needs, different tones, and overall different functionalities for specific projects. Here are some of the characteristics of our different materials to keep in mind:
Brass
Brass is an alloy made of varying quantities of copper and zinc resulting in varying tones of gold. Brass is naturally weather resistant, meaning it does not tarnish and break down when exposed to the elements. However, much like copper, it patinas – or antiques – over time if left unlacquered. Patina darkens brass to varying tones of mustard brown and dark yellow-gold.
Steel
Steel is the classic industrial metal used in many areas for it’s strength and durability. However, steel is very prone to rust and tarnish and is not recommended for exposure to high-weather areas.
Stainless-Steel
Stainless-Steel is made of specific steel alloys that naturally create a film over the surface of the metal. Even when scratched, these alloys are self-healing which means the metal will not rust. This film is extremely weather resistant, meaning it is a great candidate for outdoor use.
Iron
Iron is an incredibly strong and popular metal alloy – and is the main alloy found that makes up steel. This metal is very durable and is used often for heavy lifting. Though, it is also extremely prone to tarnishing if exposed to weather and is overall not a good option for outdoor use in hardware.
Application
Now that we understand gold finishes can be achieved on different materials, we can talk about how these finishes are applied to them. Our finishing is done differently on each material with the intent of being the highest quality possible for each product.
Although we aim for high quality, the materials still each have their own limitations that can affect the overall longevity of the chain. We have 5 main gold finishes, let’s go over the application and expectations for each one.
Acid Dipped:
Acid Dipped is a raw brass finish – meaning it is only available for brass materials. This finish is achieved by dipping raw, solid brass into a chemical solution which brightens the brass without manual polishing. The final product is a warm, orange-undertone gold color that has an organic texture over the surface – it’s a bright, classic gold but does not have an overly shiny sheen to it.
The solution used to achieve this finish will slow down the patina process of the brass, but it will not halt it entirely. So, antiquing of the metal will occur over a longer period.
Brushed Brass:
Brushed Brass is a finish we also only offer in products made of brass. It is a warm, mostly matte gold that has gentle texture when you look closely. We accomplish this using a special tool that creates micro-abrasions over the metal when brushed over the surface. Because of this process, the tone is still bright and warm, but it doesn’t have a reflective sheen.
Because this is brass, it will age over time as we don’t lacquer most of our brass products.
Champagne Gold
Champagne Gold is a warm, shiny gold finish that is available on our steel chains only. This finish is achieved via an electroplated base layer over the steel with an imitation gold applied over the base layer. A protective layer is applied to the
top once the gold is added. Because it is only available for steel products, it is not a suitable finish for outdoor use.
Polished Brass
Polished Brass is one of our most popular options – a cool-toned, shiny gold color. This finish is available in both a true, raw polished brass or in a faux finish on steel and stainless-steel items. There is a big difference in application to each material.
Solid brass products can be manually polished using a polishing compound that smooths the material’s surface to that signature bright and shiny finish. Polished brass has a cool, green undertone and the shade will vary slightly depending on the batch of material it’s made from. This is due to brass being an alloy. We do not lacquer most of our brass products, so a patina will occur over time.
Steel and stainless steel are available in imitation polished brass. The finishing is achieved using an electroplating process and then a protective layer is applied at the end. The finish on these materials will not age – but are prone to tarnish and rust in the steel material items.
Satin Brass
Satin Brass is a cool-toned, matte gold finish – like brushed brass. However, the matte finishing is smoother and does not have a brushed texture. Hence it being called “Satin”.This is a finish available only on steel products. This finish is made by using electroplating to achieve the gold color, but then an atomized surface treatment is done to smooth the finishing to its matte sheen – before a protective layer is applied at the end. While this finish will not age, it is not recommended for outdoor use as the base material (steel) is prone to tarnishing and rust.
Which of these finishes will be best for you?
Now that we understand the difference between our many options for Brass finishes in our catalog, you might be wondering how to choose between them all. While this can be a daunting task, let’s break it down to the 3 things that need to be considered when choosing the right hardware:
1) Will the chain be expected to sustain a large amount of weight (more than 300lbs)? If the chain is needed to support a very heavy fixture, we often recommend that a steel or stainless-steel chain be chosen as they can support a lot more weight. While supporting less weight (300lbs or less), a brass material chain might be a good option
2) Where will the chain be installed? Steel is not the best choice for outdoor installation because the iron alloys that make up the material are prone to rust and tarnish which will break down the chain overtime. Stainless steel and brass would be a better option for outside installation.
3) What is your personal preference? Once you’ve decided on material that will likely work best for you, you can pick whichever finish that is available for that material that works well for your preferences.
We hope this guide helps you to understand what gold finishes we offer and how best to pick the right gold chain for your project. Until next time!