Brass or golden steel — which Vel should you buy?

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. It is heavy, it has a deep warm colour, and it tarnishes — which means it needs occasional cleaning to stay bright. It is what temple metalwork has been made from for centuries, and it is what most people mean when they say a piece feels substantial.

Golden-finish stainless steel is steel with a coloured finish applied. It is lighter, brighter, does not tarnish, and needs nothing more than a wipe. It also costs less for the same size.

Neither is a compromise. They suit different situations, and plenty of households own both.

The piece is going to be the centre of the pooja room and stay there for years. Brass rewards that — it ages into something that looks like it has been in the family, which a finish cannot imitate.

You are buying it as a gift for a wedding, house-warming or a vow. Brass reads as the more considered gift, and the weight is part of why.

You do not mind ten minutes of cleaning two or three times a year.

It is handled every day, moved for cleaning, or lives somewhere it will get knocked — a shop counter, a desk, a child's shelf.

You are buying several at once, for a temple function or to give away. The cost difference multiplies quickly, and nobody receiving one will be polishing it.

You want it to look exactly the same in five years with no effort.

Plenty of listings online say 'brass finish' or 'gold plated' and photograph it to look like solid brass. Those are steel or alloy with a coating, and the coating wears at the edges where it is handled.

If a Vel is described as brass it should be heavy for its size. Ours state the material plainly on each product page, and where we say brass we mean cast brass, not a finish.