Color/Type: Green Fluorite
UPDATE: 3 Days Later.
Still beautiful. Still receiving compliments. Still making me happy each time I glance at them. But wow ..... THESE LIGHTS EAT BATTERIES!!!
I’d used brand new Amazon Basics AA High-Capacity Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries (2400 mAh), Pre-charged - Pack of 8 ASIN B00HZV9WTM which are great batteries and in just three short days, the lights went dim, having used up the batteries. This is so unusually rapid that I was convinced the led diodes in the lights had burnt out/were defective because it "couldn’t" be the batteries — but it was. So keep that in mind. The lights are beautiful and definitely worth it. If you haven’t invested in rechargeable batteries, these lights should make you pull the trigger just for the savings if not convenience. I recommend the AmazonBasics AA High-Capacity Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries (2400 mAh), Pre-charged - Pack of 8 (ASIN B00HZV9WTM) or the Pack of 24 (ASIN B07NWWHK1J) once it’s available again. If you need a charger, the best charger/analyzer is the Opus BT-3100 V2.2 the US Version ("Opus BT - C3100 V2.2 Digital Intelligent 4 Slots LCD Battery Charger Compatible with Li-ion NiCd NiMh Batteries - US Plug (PURPLISH BLUE)") ASIN B01852TBOU for really taking the best care of your rechargeable batteries (discharge/refresh, analyze, charge, discharge) and for simply charging a large number of batteries, I recommend one of the 16 Bay charging trays such as the BONAI 16+2 Bay Smart Rechargeable Battery Charger (ASIN B07GGSPXDY) or the PALO 16 Bay Smart Battery Charger (ASIN B07CNBW2D4).
Original Review:
I liked these so much I immediately ordered 2 more sets!
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Included in box: 1 card with a single continuous 7ft strand of 30LED string lights with attached "fluorite" stones in multiple shades of green/blue-green wrapped around, a battery case attached to the light string, 1 small plastic remote (uses watch battery), insert with directions and a key to the light modes
Materials: String lights are mounted on an ultra thin double strand silver-colored metal wire that can bent & shaped but is likely fragile. Wire is hard and could cut/slice a child wrapping it around their extremities or playing with the lights so keep that in mind. The double strand power cord to the battery case is soft, with the wires encased a soft plastic sheath, and clear. It is appropriately 18 inches long from the light string to the battery case. The "fluorite" stones seem like they might be colored glass, but I am not sure. There was a broken piece in the retail box I received and it was very sharp. The stones on the light string are merely rough, not sharp. The stones are approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter and arranged in assorted shades of green to blue-green, from extremely pale sea green to turquoise. They are glued on to the led diodes themselves. The LED diodes are extremely tiny, smaller than I’ve ever seen (width of a medium ballpoint pen) but reflect through the stones, lighting them up and creating a much larger diameter light source. The battery case is hard plastic in a soft, light shade of sea green to blend in with the light string. The remote is hard plastic and mine appeared as if it had been exposed to extreme heat over a long period of time with the "sticker" consisting of the controls/options and remote label bubbled and warped and the remote case slightly warped. It was fully functional though, so it didn’t matter.
Power: 3 AA batteries (coordinating plastic battery case)
Remote with Multiple Functions/Modes: The Remote has 11 unique light modes plus a "random mode" button and an "auto" button that cycles through all 11 modes. It has speed + and speed -, brightness +, brightness -, a 2hr timer, a 6h timer, and separate ON and OFF buttons. The remote is approximately 3 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1/8 inch thick. It uses a round watch battery which can easily be replaced.
11 Light Modes: 1 = Steady On - Bright, 2 = Steady On + Twinkle (some lights remain lit while others twinkle/flash), 3 = Steady On + Breathing (some lights remain lit while others breathe), 4 = Breathing Mode, 5 = Alternating Breathing Mode (the first group breathes once while second group is off, then the first group is off while the second group breathes once and repeat), 6 = Breathing + Twinkle Mode (first group breathes once while second group twinkles/flashes - all lights on, then 1/2 lit in a breath, then 1/2 lit in a twinkle/flash, then groups switch, then all lights off; repeat), 7 = Twinkle Mode (actually an on/off flash not standard twinkling with individual leds going on/off - whole group flashes on/off), 8 = Alternating Star Flash (two alternating groups rapidly flash on/off in a criss-cross pattern), 9 = Breathing Star Flash Mode (group 1 breathes while group 2 rapidly flash, groups are arranged in a criss-cross pattern), # = Star Flash Mode (entire group of lights briefly & rapidly flashes on/off), 0 = Alternating Star Flash, # = Random Mode, Auto = All 11 patterns cycling.
Comments:
The stones on this light string are fairly heavy, both individually and especially as a group. You must keep this in mind when decorating and be careful not to overtax both the item you are decorating and the led light string itself. It is not appropriate for stringing on delicate florals/trees or on lightweight material and it will "pull down" most bendable items so be sure to make allowances and provide support.
My package arrived with a layer of grit and dust all over the contents. This was debris from the stones and easily wiped off.
The lights arrive tightly and securely wound around a paper card which must be torn in order to remove the battery case attached to the light string. Be extremely careful removing the lights, slowly and methodically unwinding the strand and detangling it from both the card and the attached stones. The light string is delicate and a careless unboxing could easily break the wires or pull off stones.
The remote operates in a very narrow range, both in distance and at angles. It needs to connect to the battery box. A number of times I’ve thought the remote was dead or broken but moving closer to the battery box resolved the issue. Since most will want to conceal the battery box, don’t expect to be able to easily control the leds from across the room.
The lights are just beautiful and emit a gorgeous bright sea glass blue (aqua) color when lit. When off, the multiple shades of the stones are really lovely as well and the thin silver metal string fades into the background. They are an excellent choice for any decor that can handle their weight.
I used mine as "vase rocks" around the stems of an artificial floral arrangement inside a clear glass vase. Like I said, I liked them so much I immediately ordered 2 more sets. I hope to eventually get these in purple amethyst as well.
Please see the photos of their use in my floral arrangement and the video which shows the lights in all 11 light modes (I cycle through them in the same order as my list above).
