Intro: Hello, today I’m doing my fifth ever official review and small business review. What I’m reviewing are the following..
Business: Pisa Achukma Beads (Choctaw for “Look at/To see Beautiful Beads”) by Ariel Sweet
Reviewed Items: Custom hand made bead Necklace, earrings, and keychain.
(*Links and other information will be at the bottom of this review. But first, check out my fun little video I made presenting the items!)
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Full Review: I have always admired whenever I saw that my friends started their own businesses and related ventures. I always want to help them and partake in their business in anyway I can, because thats what I would want from a good friend. I have known Ariel since middle school, we go way back.. Decades. I always thought she was a cool and chill individual, very down to earth and easy to vibe with person for as long as I have known her. She even participated in my free blog shirt giveaway some years ago, to introduce new people to my blog! Safe to say she has always been in the picture to some degree, even after everyone moved away after High School. So when I noticed that she had started her own business, one based on her indigenous Choctaw heritage. I just knew I had found my next business partner I wanted to help out and work with! She made custom made bead based jewelry, that she sells online. I found it all interesting and fascinating, and eagerly messaged her about the offer I wanted to give her! First we did some brief chit chatting, we talked about her business, and then I mentioned the collab review offer.. She was intrigued and excitedly accepted! I’m the type that does better with voice to voice conversations, so I asked her if we can arrange a phone call to discuss the details in depth and she agreed. Sometime later we talked on the phone and caught up for HOURS. It was so refreshing catching up with an old friend after more than 17 years, that was the last time we talked in person or saw each other(as of this writing). I truly enjoyed it, we told each other our life’s story’s since High School and got up to speed! Its felt like a life time since then.. It’s unbelievable when I think about it, heh. Anyways, after catching up we needed to talk BUSINESS. We discussed all the fine details and how everything will work, long story short she would mail me three custom made bead based pieces for me to write a review for her. She was very kind, easy to talk to and work with!(some people never change haha) We again agreed to the terms and I received the package shortly in the mail. After getting off the phone, I was excited to check out the contents of the package!
I had some vague idea of what I was getting, but for the most part it was mostly a mystery of what pieces she wanted me to review. So when I got this small box package, I was curious what she sent me and how she packaged it.. First things first Ariel shipped the jewelry in priority shipping, one of the more faster shipping options. I was impressed with that, as it only took around three days to come during the holiday season. Not only that, she gave the tracking number for it and checked in with me to make sure I got it. I take note of everything, and I made sure to write that down. Now another thing I’m VERY particular about is the presentation of how the purchased item is given to you. I kinda just erroneously assumed the jewelry was probably put in a zip lock and thrown in there, as most people do that for ease and cost. Well Ariel did not do that, when I opened the box I saw an absolutely beautifully done presentation. She had carefully wrapped the necklace and keychain in gift wrap paper. She had even put the ear rings she sent me in a very nice white jewelry box. All three items had an adorable sticker that said “made with love” on them. The final finishing touch with a card and envelope, that she wrote in there thanking me for considering her.. I was very impressed with her shipping and presentation etiquette. I have this rule that the way you get the merchandise, is almost as important as the merchandise itself. And I can confidently say that Ariel absolutely ACED this aspect of this whole review, it’s honestly something I would have done and her going the extra mile to include all this nice stuff.. Is so appreciated. Any customer would be happy to receive their jewelry packaged and shipped like this. It’s the effort and consideration that is most appreciated. Anyways, it is time to review the actual product itself!
The first and the main item in this collection is the bead necklace. It is a thick and sturdy necklace, very colorful and vibrant in color. The parts that attach are gold colored metal, like most necklaces are. The pendant is a large around metal like piece featuring a beautiful design of flowers. It is thick, premium feeling, and very eye catching. The beads themselves are very smooth and somewhat move along with you holding them. The beads are packed very tight together as they were meant to, you only really see some of the material holding them together at the ends connecting the metal clip parts. The necklace itself is actually a little heavy, more than it looks at least. Now my only criticism of this necklace is kinda mixed, because when I tried it on it was on the shorter side and I had trouble putting it on. I will give the benefit of the doubt, as I’m a bigger guy and I have a pretty thick neck haha, so it could just be me. It would probably fit on more smaller people, especially women. So in my case, I would have to have my necklace’s bigger, but overall it does the job it was meant to do. I really like this necklace, the look, the feel, the effort put into it.. Other than maybe the size alteration for ME personally, I APPROVE of this necklace!
The next piece I’m reviewing is the custom made fringe style earrings Ariel sent me. Now this piece will be a little harder for me to truly review because I don’t use earrings nor have ever had them on. So I will go over what I can, there is still more to them to review. They are also a very colorful, vibrant, and intricate in nature. The can truly appreciate all the small attention to details this piece must have taken. I take them out of the jewelry box they came in, and I note they are very light and have almost no weight. They are relatively long, they are not small earrings at least in my opinion. They have a pretty pink pearl at the top of each one. The clip part that attaches to your ear is also a golden colored metal hoop hook shaped, for ease in inserting into the ear hole opening. Another thing I like about these earrings is that they are not stiff and non-moving, they are very flexible and move along with you(as I said fringe style). They will demand the attention of anyone looking at you, which is much of the point of earrings. The beads are very soft to the touch, it feels like there is barely anything in my hand. I wish I could properly try them out haha. But from what I’m observing and inspecting, these are solid budget earrings for anyone who wants to add a pretty, light weight, and colorful piece of jewelry to their outfit or collection. If all those aspects work for you, and you do your due diligence in know what you want when ordering custom bead earrings from Ariel. Then in my own opinion I APPROVE of these earrings!
The last piece and probably my favorite one is the custom made bead keychain! I always had a passion for small knick knack type stuff that you can hang off your keys, backpack, inside car mirror, etc.. So this piece I can relate to the most! I must say this is probably the most cleanest looking and well made of all the jewelry here. Not to mention, this is a fairly large keychain and is by no means small. The colors are without a doubt my favorite of all them, a very blended mixture of hot colors.. Very desert/adobe inspired colors. The keychain is relatively heavy like the necklace is, also very sturdy and strong. It’s almost like a smaller necklace, if it was a little bigger it could fit around your neck haha. Much like the other jewelry, it has a rounded smooth finish, the beads are packed very tightly together thus adding to its resiliency. The bottom and main part is the metal keychain hoop and the ornamental plastic feather, I really like it and it’s really a nice touch. I can think of a hundred cool places to hang this keychain piece besides just my keys, adding to its versatility. I definitely look forward to using this keychain the most, and am excited to hang it up somewhere fun! I APPROVE of this piece wholeheartedly and would probably be the one I would buy the most, as I find it the most practical and fun!
Now that I’m done reviewing all three pieces of jewelry, I will go over the prices for each piece. I had Ariel send me the full true price of everything as if I had paid for them like a regular customer. Here are the prices:
1.The Necklace = $60
2.The Earrings = $10
*Note: If both top pieces are bought together its $65
3.The Keychain = $30
So being as objective as possible here, I’m somewhat conflicted with the pricing. As I see both sides of what makes something that price. As a consumer I would think they are a little on the pricer side, as amazing as all the jewelry are. I would have to do some thinking before committing to that purchase, especially for the necklace and keychain. By the way the earrings are prices very reasonable, that piece is excluded from this point. I can just see some people having trouble with the rest of the prices. That being said, from a fellow seller of custom made wares.. They are EXPENSIVE to produce and take allot of work to make! In a way, they HAVE to cost those prices to justify all the time, effort, work, and money spent creating these works. So I totally get why they are priced as such, and don’t really blame her for charging those prices. I did ask Ariel about her openess to haggling and negotiating prices, she said while she doesn’t usually do that and prices are set. She sometimes is open to deals where items are bought as a set, and/or the costumer buys allot. But that is totally up to her and the costumer’s discretion on what deal they make, so she is open to it if the deal is right. Which I was glad to hear! This is still a very new business venture for her, so she still working on her footing. Which I totally understand. That’s really all there is to it in regards to pricing.. Ladies and gentlemen, that is all for the main section of this blog!
Allow me to share some final pros and cons:
Pros +
- Easy to buy/Great communication/fast shipment process
- Amazing presentation (BIG PLUS)
- Sturdy and reliable products
- Authentic hand made with rich history and beauty.
Cons -
- Sizing if you a bigger person.
- Pricing may be an issue for some.
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In conclusion, this was yet ANOTHER successful business and product review. Ariel and her business “Pisa Achukma Beads” really knocked it out of the park in my opinion! I thoroughly inspected and reviewed not only the products, but the whole experience itself and found it very easy and refreshing. The criticisms are very few and minor, while there is allot to praise! I wholeheartedly believe that Ariel has found her true calling and for just starting out, she is doing a phenomenal job! I really want to wish her work the best and that my review helps propel her amazing business to new heights and beyond! Speaking of Ariel, I want to talk to her directly now..
Ariel I want to thank YOU for trusting in me that I would give you and your work, a fair and honest review. I means so much that you went the extra mile for me, especially being an old friend of many years.. I’m glad we can still be there for each other even after all this time. Watching you grow up and hearing your life story.. You have always impressed me and blown me away with the passion in your heart and the FIRE you have inside, and once you get started.. Nothing can stop you! It is honestly an amazing sight to behold! I admire that because I hope to also have that skill one day too, I’m working on it! haha. You see, you need only reach for the stars, and never let go! I hope that we will always be bright lights in each other’s lives and that from this day forward we will always be not only business partners, but cherished friends forever and always. I will do my best to help you in anyway I can in your ventures, just as I know you would help mine(Example: My blog shirt giveaway). Know that I will always be in your corner, cheering you on! Thank you again for working with me Ariel, and I look forward to when we can collab again in the future! I’m sure we can come up with something great! Take care! Chi pisa la chike, akana! (Choctaw for: Until next time my friend!) ððŠķ
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*If you liked this review and you are interested in purchasing from Ariel’s business…
Just follow the links below and message her any questions you have! Serious inquiries only, tell her Jacob said Halito! ð (Choctaw for Hello)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pisa_achukma_beads?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?
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