We received the two vases very quickly - in fact they came a day or so earlier than expected. They were very well packaged and arrived safely. The workmanship is good and they are sturdy. We did not receive any sand packages to stabilize the bases, but as it turns out, we didn't need them. The top portion of the vase is gold, and it is very shiny. The bottom section is lacquered and also very pretty, but if the vase was all gold, or all brown - it wouldn't be as striking. I must comment about the packaging. Since they are packed so well in order to keep them safe in transit - there are also tons of Styrofoam peanuts in each box - and they can be very, very messy! Follow the instructions that are included so you can get the large vases out of the boxes without damaging them. We followed the instructions and we were still picking up little pieces of Styrofoam for a week or so afterward. If you can possibly open the boxes outside, it might be a good idea to do so. Each vase comes with branches of the manufacturer's choice. Ours contained brown branches - which worked well for us. There is also a block of green foam and a bit of moss to use at the vase opening. I used neither of those items, and simply stuck the branches into the narrow vase opening and fanned them out. Our vases are up on shelves, so no one will be looking into the vase. If you use them as floor vases, and want a great deal of height - you may want to put the branches into the green Styrofoam wedge, which you'll need to carve down to the proper size and cover the opening with moss. All in all, I'm happy with my purchase and the vases are a dramatic addition to our new media wall. I would definitely recommend them.
