Running this blog has given me the opportunity to meet some really fantastic people from all over the world, one of them that I’ve been chatting with over the last couple of months is Miss Lumpy who runs Her Lumpiness. I’ve watched her blog grow to be one of my favorites over the last year and saw her launch her store Amaranth Opulent recently. I was so excited for her and couldn’t wait to get my hands on some of her pieces. When she offered to send me a couple of custom pieces to review I was over the moon 😀
Amaranth Opulent makes Lolita/Mori (though really they could be used with almost any style) eco friendly jewelery, most of which features beautiful wild flowers in hand cast resin.
Welcome to Amaranth Opulent, a line of eco-friendly, one-of-a-kind jewelry designed for the lolita or mori-girl in all of us. Named after the Grecian flower of immortality and mixing hand-picked, hand-pressed local wildflowers with findings bought from small businesses that reflect a vintage, old-world style, Amaranth Opulent is devoted to creating a mix of the natural and the luxurious.
All organic materials are hand-picked from local plants in a sustainable manner, meaning the entire plant is not harvested and therefore can continue to be an important part of its local ecosystem. All jewelry findings are purchased from other Etsy sellers or local stores because it is important to us that we support other small businesses. By purchasing from us, you are helping us continue to help other entrepreneurs and artists. Thank you!This is what arrived in my letterbox the other day:
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Shipping:From the US it took about a week for it to reach Australia which is about average for an airmail parcel here. I was surprised it was so fast actually because our postal system is in a bit of a shambles at the moment because so many people are ordering from overseas while our dollar is strong >_<Anyway everything was very well wrapped in a little box with padding and a little paper bag to keep the other piece separate. Also included was a business card and 3 little candies which I just love! I’m all about the details so things like this make my very happy:
Another detail which I loved was the fact that she even used adorable packing tape on the envelope!
Inside everything, these were the pieces that she custom made for me:
Firstly a little hand bag chain. This is a very delicate looking flower on a thin chain with pearls and a little key. I especially like the key because it reminds me of one I had for a jewelery box when I was a child. The pearls match the flower perfectly and the whole thing just looks lovely. |
The fastenings seem fairly sturdy to me and the pearls aren’t too heavy so I think it could easily be attached to a cell phone without weighing it down. When I get my new phone I think that’s going to be the first thing on it ^_^
My favorite part is that inside the resin is set with glitter so it really sparkles in the sun 😀
The second piece I received was a brooch with a violet set in it. Super extra points for custom making a violet for me!!
The base of this one is a deep copperish colour which is balanced by cream pearls, white backing and the glitter in the resin. Again it’s all very light which I think makes it more versatile as I’ve already worn it as a brooch, on a necklace and even in my hair without it weighing down anything or being annoying.
The only real thing I could say if I was being picky is that the flower isn’t perfectly centered but that’s just the perfectionist part of my brain talking XD Handmade jewelery in my experience always comes with little fun quirks like this and it certainly doesn’t detract from the item as a whole!
The back of the brooch is fastened with a pin which has been glued into place. So far it’s been very sturdy so no complaints there.
Communication on Amaranth Opulent’s part was great too, she’s always very quick to respond to my emails and really knowledgeable on the eco aspects of the products too.
Price-wise I think they are a bit of a steal. The items in the store range from about US$10-21 and considering that everything is eco-friendly, extremely pretty and well made those kinds of prices are a bargain. Compared to prices of similar things in local stores here everything is at least $10 cheaper on average and especially with the strong Aus $ at the moment it’s perfect timing hahaha!
I’ve already added one of the dual pearl brooches and another bag charm to my Christmas list XD
VERDICT: Eco friendly, good quality, good price, beautiful designs, couldn’t really ask for more! 😀 DO WANT
