Cherry, padauk and purpleheart aren’t finished the day they leave the craftsman — they keep changing for years afterward, and that’s by design, not an oversight. Cherry deepens from a light pink-brown to a rich amber-red as it reacts to UV light. Padauk does the reverse: it starts almost fluorescent orange and mellows to a russet brown within months. Purpleheart is the most dramatic of the three, shifting from a bright purple to a true violet once it’s had a few weeks in the sun.
None of this is a flaw in the finish. These are natural qualities of the wood. I finish my Signature pieces with finishes that slow the UV exposure. But it cannot fully stop it. If you want to slow the change, keep the piece out of direct sunlight when it’s not in use — but honestly, most collectors tell me watching a padauk tankard mellow over its first year is half the fun of owning one.
If you ever want to compare where your piece started, snap a photo the day it arrives. A year from now you’ll have a nice little before-and-after of your own.