The finish is actually bright and shiny, unlike what is shown in the photo. The photo also shows a faceted texture on the dome of the ring but in actuality the ring is quite smooth. The differences are all worth the cost because it is still pretty. However, the shiny finish wears off every time you wear the ring. I fell asleep with it on the first night and when I woke up, the sides, where it had rubbed against my other fingers overnight, had already faded. Since I can't return it, I have been rotating the ring to even out the fading so it looks the same all the way around. At some point I might just get the whole thing polished to silver since it is sterling silver underneath.