Untreated brass creates contrast in Daniel Schofield's Tarnish tableware collection
London Design Festival 2014: these brass plates, small vases and containers by Sheffield designer Daniel Schofield are mirror-polished on one half and untreated on the other.
![Tarnish Collection by Daniel Schofield](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Tarnish_Collection_by_Daniel_Schofield_dezeen_sq.jpg)
To create his Tarnish Collection, Daniel Schofield polished and lacquered half of each item to keep it pristine. The other half was left untreated to allow it to develop a patina over time.
The untreated half of each solid brass object will react with natural oils secreted from the skin, tarnishing as it is used and creating a pattern that is unique to each piece.
![Tarnish Collection by Daniel Schofield](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Tarnish_Collection_by_Daniel_Schofield_dezeen_468_3.jpg)
The designer hopes this will result in an emotional attachment with the pieces, giving them a value beyond their functional significance.
![Tarnish Collection by Daniel Schofield](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Tarnish_Collection_by_Daniel_Schofield_dezeen_468_9.jpg)
"I hope people will enjoy and use them – they are primarily designed to be functional - but if the user forms a bond with the pieces, that would be the best outcome," Schofield told Dezeen.
![Tarnish Collection by Daniel Schofield](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Tarnish_Collection_by_Daniel_Schofield_dezeen_468_10.jpg)
The idea for the collection, which is made by hand in Sheffield by local craftsmen and silversmiths, came about when the designer was working with brass for other projects.
![Tarnish Collection by Daniel Schofield](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Tarnish_Collection_by_Daniel_Schofield_dezeen_468_8.jpg)
He noticed how it marked when touched and how these marks built up over time.
![Tarnish Collection by Daniel Schofield](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Tarnish_Collection_by_Daniel_Schofield_dezeen_468_7.jpg)
"I've been working with brass for a while, because of its warmth," said Schofield. "I started to see the marks as a pattern rather than a blemish, so I set out to find a way to display and highlight them. Contrasting them against the mirrored finish seemed like a poetic way to bring attention to them."
![Tarnish Collection by Daniel Schofield](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Tarnish_Collection_by_Daniel_Schofield_dezeen_468_6.jpg)
Schofield's Tarnish Collection will be launched at the designjunction exhibition during September's London Design Festival, as part of design collective Design Event's showcase of talent from the north of England.
![Tarnish Collection by Daniel Schofield](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Tarnish_Collection_by_Daniel_Schofield_dezeen_468_4.jpg)
Earlier this year, Dezeen spotted a flurry of brass products at both Clerkenwell Design Week and New York design week – signalling a return of the material in contemporary design.
![Tarnish Collection by Daniel Schofield](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Tarnish_Collection_by_Daniel_Schofield_dezeen_468_2.jpg)