Your rain chain will start changing colour slowly once it has left the plastic that it arrives in. The speed at which it will change colour will depend on your local environment, e.g. if you live near the ocean, your chain will change quite quickly. For most chains, over the first year that they are exposed to the elements, they will change colour from a light, golden copper colour to a lovely, shiny, dark-brown colour. This colour actually tends to look more natural and weathered, and we've found that most people like the way that their chain changes. Aluminium ones will remain silver but may develop small oxidation pits on the surface.