Higher quality models are solid brass. I've gone through three or four winters on less than a gallon of lamp oil to adequately light whatever room I'm using. I don't bother paying the price for extra virgin.

Less expensive brands are generally brass plated tin. Nautical lanterns in their purest form use kerosene or oil, two very economical fuel sources for light. If it sticks, there's tin underneath.

You don't have to own a boat or a small lighthouse to appreciate the value of a nautical lantern. Oil burning nautical lanterns provide fantastic alternative patty lighting. If it doesn't, you're looking at solid brass.

To detect the difference, use a magnet to test it. There's no sense in burning an unnecessary hole in the budget, and it kind of defeats the economics aspect of using an alternative energy source. Whether you're feeling the need to be prepared in increasingly unstable geopolitical and erratic weather climates; whether you want a cheaper energy alternative or just want to spruce up your d cor, the functionality and style of nautical lamps appeals to just about anyone. Not all lanterns are created equal.

I prefer to burn cheap chrystel oil from our local cash and lotta as opposed to a petroleum based oil.