Amaranth Opulent Review

Over the summer, before her shop, Amaranth Opulent opened, I had the chance to do a photoshoot with Miss Lumpy and got a sneak peak at her upcoming line. The instant I saw her open up her box of goodies I knew I would be ordering something from her when her shop opened up! Fast forward a few weeks to the grand opening of her shop, shortly after which I contacted her asking if she would be making brooches anytime soon, or if she is open to commissions. While Miss Lumpy isn't exactly taking specific commissions she was intrigued by the idea of a dual brooch so we worked out something of a semi-commission. She would make a dual brooch with me in mind and if I liked it, I would buy it. If I decided it wasn't for me, she would put it up for sale in her Etsy shop or keep it for herself.

A little bit later, I see this gorgeous picture on her DeviantArt gallery, with the following description:

The pendant features a small blossom of Everlasting Pea ... a silhouette that reminds me of a bonnet, which I thought would be perfect for a milliner. The pendant is also backed by a pieces of antique newspaper; I found this in a drawer in an antique vanity over the summer...

I knew right then and there that Miss Lumpy was some kind of magical Lolita psychic wizard who had been reading my mind this whole time, because with a "make it however you want!" she managed to pretty much make, not only exactly what I had in mind, but also something that was just so me. Shortly after seeing this up on DeviantArt, it was mine!

It came packaged beautifully, in a little brown box wrapped in ribbon with a lovely tea-stained tag with a little note on it.

Nestled in the box with the brooch was one of her business cards. The brooch was even more lovely in real life, as these types of magnifying cabochon pieces are always a million times more impressive in real life. Construction wise the brooch is just perfect. The findings are all glued on neatly with a strong glue and the jumprings are very tightly put together.

And here it is worn! There are many ways to wear dual brooches like this. You can pin them to either side of a bow, wear it asymmetrically, pin one side to either side of an unbuttoned cardigan, or even pin it from your head piece to another hair accessory, but my favorite way to wear them is on the bodice of a dress or blouse. I think it gives the dress even more detail and looks like you're wearing a long necklace, only you don't have to worry about it being lopsided or getting stuck under your collar weird or anything like that.

Overall I would give this a 5 out of 5 all around! While it was a very laid back "commission" with no real deadline it was still a very speedy process, especially considering that she works with organic materials that have to be dried and preserved before they can be used.

"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."

While my brooch was a special order, it is very much in the same style as the other jewelry she sells. All her pieces feature hand picked flowers, findings with delicate details, and other very classical feeling materials. Items range from rings to keychains to necklaces and more. Her pieces are priced very fairly and range in price depending on the size, you can pick something up for a mere $4, or you can splurge a bit on something, as the shop name implies, a little more opulent. While all of her pieces follow a similar theme, there are pieces that would be perfect for pretty much any kind of Lolita, the Classic Lolita will have no trouble finding something by Miss Lumpy to suit her, but there are also things for the Sweet Lolita, the Gothic Lolita, as well as the Steampunk enthusiast and the Mori or Dolly girl!

Miss Lumpy's Blog
Miss Lumpy's DeviantArt gallery
Amaranth Opulent Etsy shop
Amaranth Opulent Facebook Fan Page