Dyes, pigments & patinas. When dyes are used, the result is a transparent coating that reveals the metal and any marks etched onto the surface. The color and the metal are viewed simultaneously. By comparison, when pigments are used the metal is not visible. The marks made on the surface can been seen as a texture, but not the metal itself. Patinas are a special case altogether. They can be transparent, semi-transparent or completely opaque. What is more, they react with the metal surface and form a new chemical that produces the coloration. Unlike dyes and pigments, patinas join with the metal and become part of the surface. Hence they have a very unique quality because they are the coloration and the metal simultaneously.