All our Navigator lights are crafted from solid brass.
Why brass?
Brass is an alloy, principally made from copper and zinc. It's been used in marine environments for generations, valued for its durability and resistance to corrosion in salt air and seawater.
For outdoor lighting, that is part of what makes brass so well suited. Rather than relying on a thin decorative surface over another base material to protect the light, the fitting itself is made from brass.
For Navigator, though, there is another reason we use it: brass gets better with age.
A living finish
New brass can be bright, warm and golden in colour. Leave it outdoors and that appearance begins to change.
Rain, moisture, salt in the air, fingerprints (we use gloves when we handle the lights!), temperature and the particular environment around the fitting all influence the surface. Gradually, the brass develops a natural patina. It may become darker, take on richer brown tones, and develop variations in colour across the surface.
No two fittings will age in exactly the same way.
This isn't deterioration, it is the material reacting to the environment.
What is patina?
Patina is the natural surface change that develops as metals such as brass react with the air, moisture and their surroundings. It can deepen the colour and create variations across the surface. It isn't the same as paint peeling, or a coating wearing away or flaking.
There's no fixed timetable for patina. The rate of patina is influenced by many different factors, for example a lantern on a sea wall may develop a patina much quicker than a lantern in a sheltered porch in the south of England. These examples illustrates how brass can change over a period of time.
Prefer the character of aged brass from the beginning? We supply Navigators in an Antique Brass finish, hand finished to create a deeper, darker appearance from the outset. Find out more about our antiquing process here.
Made to change. Made to last.
Outdoor lighting lives with a building. It experiences, rain, sunlight, changing seasons. Solid brass develops character as it ages, making every fitting a little more individual to the place in which it lives.
Navigator. Lights worth keeping.