It darkens. It can corrode to green depending on the environment.

I just redid a lamp. It had gone too dull (the grey-brown). I polished it up and now I want it to weather a bit and then I will probably lacquer it.

Here are a couple brass pieces that never get polished. Or even wiped down much tbh.

There's a reason why plating brass fixtures became popular.

This is very helpful. Thank you both. I don't think I want the fixtures now.

I got unlacquered, polished brass pulls for my new kitchen. About once a week, I wipe them with a rouge cloth. If the become a problem, I'll take them off and have them polished and lacquered. You could do that with your light fixtures but more costly.

How often must they be cleaned/polished to look good? I just saw some pendants at Visual Comfort that would make me consider it. So beautiful.

I think a lot depends on the environment (more humid areas may cause tarnish faster, contact with body oils, etc.). There are polishes that protect against tarnish. If they were not installed in an area like a kitchen or bath, I would plan on polishing once a year, but I'm really not sure. Most brass we see has been lacquered so that wears off before we can see the tarniah, I can ask my son what he notices on his slide (he is working a double shift today nad early tomorrow, so it might not be this evening), but I would also ask the folks at Visual Comfort how often they clean and polish theirs.

Hmm, yes they are beautiful! The ones I like best! But they will go in the kitchen over the island. A once a year, clean/ polish I could do.

They are already Antique Brass, which will look different than the aged brass pictured above. Those lamps are gorgeous and I suspect will not age as much as plain brass would, because they are already chemically darkened. I have antique brass doorknobs and they look pretty much as they did 33 years ago when the house was built and I don't think they are lacquered. The WS site says to use no chemical or abrasive cleaners on them, so I don't believe they are intended to be polished.

You could easily lacquer them before hanging if you were worried about it, but I wouldn't worry at all.

I agree with Olychick. I don't think those are a natural brass. The care says not to use abrasives that could damage the finish which seems to indicate that the antiquing has left soe kind of finish on them. The Visual Comfort fixture I looked at had silver fittings inside glass -- it would have been a real pain to polish and they said yes they did require polishing. Not going to deal with that over or near a bathtub.

I don't know anything about HomeClick but ....is this the same light ?

http://www.homeclick.com/visual-comfort-chc5101-chart-house-2-light-sloane-single-shop-light/p-488371.aspx?option=Antique%20Burnished%20Brass?chnl=cpc&ven=houzz&cam=Visual%20Comfort&kw=CHC5101&hz_source=ppc

Yes, the same and with shipping almost the same price. WS at least has a good reputation, return policy. However, they are in stock here at houzz shopping.

The link I attached did come from Houzz. It says free shipping and on sale for $629.

I wonder if buying from a Houzz link provides more protection ?

Oh, you want those lights Bumble. :) I've long loved those lights.

Do you have a second option?

We have two Visual Comfort fixtures in antique brass (dining room and kitchen). They are listed as antique, but don't have the same qualifier about darkening as those pendants so maybe they are laquered? Anyways, ours don't seem to have darkened over the 8 months we've had them. We ordered ours through a local lighting company and with our designer's discount they were a bit cheaper than online and we had that security of being able to return easily and their guarantee.

I remember having a very large brass chandelier in the house I grew up in and it was my job to polish it once a year. I kind of liked doing it, but I also remember I liked ironing clothes at that age - harder to enjoy those meditative tasks as an adult when you have a million other things waiting to be done :)

4boys, it does say free shipping, but when you select the option I want, it says + $273. Keep looking for me though! Surely I can get them cheaper somewhere...

I don't have a designer, daisychain, just a simple remodel and upgrade of certain things. Polishing is not my thing though!

Sheeisback, yes, I do certainly want those!

Bumblebeez, I got a pop-up at HomeClick that said to sign-up for email and save 15% on your first order...

I didn't get a pop up, 3dogs. boo hoo. I've never ordered from them before either.

Try again - I just went in again and got it. Or message me with your email address and I'll put it in for you as I have left the pop-up 'up'.

I have it, thank you!

Those brass lights from WS are gorgeous. They probably have been coated with something to keep them from tarnishing, manufacturers usually do that especially for lighting of that high quality. I'm a metal smith and do not coat my pieces because I haven't found any coating product I like.... and overtime, the metal will darken underneath the lacquer anyway. The very tarnished pieces shown by another poster were probably installed or stored outside and if they did have a lacquer or coating, that flaked off long ago. If you install those lights from WS they will darken a little but I doubt they will ever get a heavy tarnish.