I like these curtain rods however the actual rod is not exactly as pictured. I do love the vintage-like design on the ends but the silver is not as shiny as pictured and they have a brownish color in some spots on the ends that make them look tarnished. And because the type of metal is unknown, i didn't want to take the chance of ruining them by polishing them. However, the spots that look tarnished is only noticeable up close. Once we hung them, it wasn't noticeable at all and they actually look great.