Although there is no substitute for seeing and handling our sample lifecasts in person to help you decide between different material finishes, we have compiled this chart of some of our most popular options to help you understand the pros and cons of these particular finishes. Please note that these are not the only finishes we offer. So if you would like further information on any other material such as nano-crystalline copper or lead crystal glass, for example, please email us and we will be happy to help.
| Material | Appearance | Touchy feely | Longevity | Strength | Vulnerability | Detail | Indoor/Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gypsum/plaster | White, clean, stone/marble-like | Fairly heavy due to high stone content, cool and satisfying to touch. | If cared for correctly can last many generations. | High stone content means it is stronger than perceived. However vulnerable to breakage if dropped. | Moisture, dropping/knocking, staining from nearby chemicals in air or dirt/grease from hands when handled. | Incredible detail, although detail is reduced if subject moves during moulding process. | Indoor only |
| Painted gypsum | Mimics appearance of certain metals | Fairly heavy as above. | If cared for correctly can last many generations although paint/wax finish may need periodic retouching. | High stone content means it is stronger than perceived. However vulnerable to breakage if dropped. | Moisture, dropping/knocking. | Incredible detail, although detail is reduced if subject moves during moulding process. | Indoor only |
| Metal veneer over gypsum | Looks like real metal, can be patinated as such and some metal veneers can be engraved | Feels like real metal to the touch, although weight is more than gyspum/less than true metal | If cared for correctly can last many generations. Offers additional protection over basic gypsum products. | High stone content means it is stronger than perceived. However vulnerable to breakage if dropped. | Moisture, dropping/knocking. | Some loss of detail which is more obvious on small items such as hands/lips/faces but much less so on larger casts. | Indoor only |
| Cold cast metal | Looks like real metal, can be patinated as such and engraved | Aluminium quite light weight, but other cold cast metals can be very heavy - particularly bronze. | If cared for correctly can last many generations. | Stronger than gypsum but not as strong as true metal. Will usually withstand bumps/scuffs but finger breakage (or similar) possible with dropping onto hard floor | Dropping onto hard surface. If placed outside or near moisture then metal content may patinate naturally e.g. iron will rust, copper will verdigris or darken, etc. | Finest possible detail. | Preferably indoors only, although certain cold cast metals such as cold cast bronze may cope externally or in damp environments although patina may change |
| Pewter | antique style shiny silver metal with natural pitting from casting process | Heavy and cool to the touch | If cared for correctly can last many generations. | Strong and hardy but relative softness of the metal means it can be dented with knocks or drops. | Hard knocking. | Some loss of detail along with natural pitting from casting process. | Indoors only |
| Bronze | Gorgeous chestnut toned metal but can be patinated in many ways from white to verdigris or black | Very heavy, cool to the touch. | If cared for correctly can last many generations. | Very strong, unlikely to break or be dented. | Very few | Good detail but some loss of detail along with pitting is expected as part of the casting process. | Indoors or outdoors |
- Painted plaster options - unlimited, however the most popular finishes are bronze, copper, and pewter.
- Real metal veneer options - bronze, copper, brass, aluminium, nickel silver, gun metal, steel, iron, dubai gold (technically a mix of brass and copper that looks like a pale gold).
- Cold cast metal options - bronze, copper, brass, iron, aluminium. Some of these metal powders can be successfully blended to produce subtle differences.
- Real bronze patina options - highly polished (light gold), traditional antiqued patina (chestnut tones with warm highlights), black bronze, dark brown, smoky peach tones, green (verdigris bronze), white bronze.
- Additionally lead crystal glass is available in natural (clear), pale pink, pale blue, pale yellow, pale turquoise and more.
In addition to the above finishes, some types of casting are available in Sterling silver, gold, leather, electroformed metals (copper, nickel, silver, gold) and even food products such as chocolate, ice, jelly and bread.