This light is gorgeous. Yes you need to devote about 3 hours stringing it together but it is really much more simple than the reviews make it out to be. After reading the reviews I was literally afraid to tackle this.... turned out to be fine and well worth it. My advice: do not use pliers, just pull the metal rings open with your fingers... much quicker. Plan to do over two days because your fingers get a bit sore. Do not install with the shells already attached. I would make sure the light works after installing it before I took the time to string the shells together. Easy to slip the shells on after the mounting plate is installed... just use a ladder. Also to the person who said the shells were not real and that they were plastic I completely disagree. The are beautiful, fragile, genuine shells. I would buy this again. Perfect for a beachy decor. Looks very high end. LOVE!!!

very pretty at front door

Love this light! The bolt is too long so there was a gap between the wall and the light; got washers to fill in the gap. Looks fabulous!