Wow this is very pretty!  I have never owned this type of rug and was worried about odor, as well as looking TOO earthy or having dirt in it.  But I loved the idea of it so I gave it a try.  This rug is actually soft--as far as the fibers and what I had expected.  The texture is large/knobby.  I think I imagined it to have smaller texture/fibers but I ended up loving it.  The only odor was a brief chemical smell for about an hour that quickly aired out. Great quality!