Shellac (not to be confused with lacquer) has been used to finish fine furniture for many centuries. When you see an antique piece of furniture in a museum, chances are it has a shellac finish. Shellac is a natural resin that is deposited on trees by tiny scale insects in India. The resin is scraped off the trees, heated, filtered and made into shellac flakes. Besides it's use as a wood finish it is also FDA approved as a coating on pills and candy. Shellac protects and beautifies the wood imparting it with a warm glow. Shellac has a natural ability to stop water vapor from entering the wood which stops the wood from contracting and expanding. This means that the Eco Casket will not crack, split, or warp even when placed in a humid environment. Shellac naturally has an amber color. No pigments, dyes or other petrochemicals were used in finishing this casket.