The fixture was well-packed and received without any damage. Like other reviews mention, the cord had to be cut to remove the provided plug and switch. It came with decorative hooks as well, in the event you wanted to use it as a supplemental light plugged into the wall with the final location offset from the fixture box location or wall plug. My husband installed it in less than 20 minutes, and it looks fabulous in the "garden room" of our late 1920s Tudor cottage. Just as pictured and prettier than expected. We wanted this close to the ceiling because we walk the underneath it, and so we did not use the provided chain. The flowers and leaves are metal, the crystals are (I believe) glass or a very hard acrylic.