Usually when I buy casual jewelry online, there's something disappointing about it.  The chain is too short or too thin, the wire work isn't as nice as the one pictured, or it just ends up looking cheap.  Not so with this necklace!  Granted, I read through all the reviews and browsed pics posted by other reviewers before buying, but I was still a little nervous that it wouldn't live up to my expectations.  Turns out I had nothing to be worried about.

The chain is the perfect extra- long length for this style of pendant, and the pendant itself is a good size without being too big.  The wire is securely wrapped and still decorative, just like in the product picture.  And the abalone is just beautiful.  It's pieced together in a parquet-like pattern (which again is clear in the product photo), and actually looks a lot nicer than if it was just a single piece of abalone.  All in all, it looks just as pretty in real life as it does in the pic here on Amazon.