I would get a sample of each -- photos can be really misleading when it comes to these small differences. In the pics above, the top one looks golden while the bottom one looks pink, but my experience is that champagne often looks somewhere between nickel and brass, while gold looks more like a traditional brass but brushed. I'm sure that seeing them in person would help you decide! If you're doing a gold metal in a mix with nickel, I'd want to be sure that the contrast was clear.

Looking at the "champagne bronze" from Delta, Pottery Barn, and even Houzz, I would have called them all a muted, brushed brass. Looks nice to me......and I would expect it to hide water spots pretty effectively. Finding matching hardware, mirrors, towel rails etc. will be more of an effort. As to the lifespan of the trend, as long as you choose something truly functional that you really like the appearance of, you can't go wrong.....meaning tastes may change, but a well-done design will give you the best longevity.

Hey All, Rohl distributor here. That is definitely the Tuscan Brass finish that does live/change over time. You can speed up the process when you buy a new one by touching it alot or wiping it down with soap and water often to quicken the pace. Rohl was purchased by Fortune Brands, which has changed some of their distribution over the last couple years, but the items are still made in Italy. In our market, about half of the issues are installer related because they are not the Delta quick connect installations. To acheive this look would be hard in any mainstream brand. Waterstone is fantastic! I have been their facilty in CA. They also have a Tuscan finish that changes, but again, it would still be different. In my experience there are certainly issues with higher brands, but they always take care of you. It's just not at an Amazon pace. Unlacqered Brass is going to be bright and shiny, and will also turn, but I don't think they would ever look the same (TCB that had changed and ULB that had changed). I would stick to TCB finish and maybe even purchase "Brass Ager" on Amazon and test on the underside of a flange or something. Or buy a soap dispenser to test it out on that wouldn't be costly to replace. Enjoy!

I guess it depends on what folks hold in definition. A patina is an oxidation or chemical process on metals like brass and copper. It can over time become protective of the metal. If it goes verdigris, that can be bad for consuming. Objects can have a patina without being used, brass can develop a natural patina in a year or two of use. Depends a bit on the humidity levels in the house. It can take longer to develop a heavy or very dark patina. It is coating of the metal, not really the same as used and old. Used and old can be just used and old- scratches, finishes worn off, finishes not cleaned and allowed to darken while other areas see highlighting from touch. Patina can be worn off on a used and old finish too, like a brass doorplate gone dark while the knob stays bright since the patina is worn off all the time from use. But if you want used and old looking, or a faux patina... take the hardware off. Tumble it with some rough grit a bit. Then put them through an ammonia gas process for a while. Wax and polish after remounting to create the used/rubbed off worn areas of hardware of used and old looking. You could also try salt or acid corrosion to hasten a worn or used look, your mileage may vary depending on how you process. You could also use brass black to darken your brass to create false age. Out of curiousity, if you wanted faux aged/patina brass, why did you get raw brass?