How Greene Is Gold lockets are made (and why it takes 3 weeks)

I get questions about the 3-week processing time fairly regularly, and I understand why. In a world of 2-day shipping, three weeks can feel like a long time. So I want to explain what is actually happening during those three weeks, because I think it changes how the wait feels.

Where it started

Greene Is Gold started in November 2020, during my junior year of college, in my dorm room at a university in New York City. I had been making things my whole life but I had not found the right thing yet. Preserved flower lockets turned out to be it.

I want to be specific about that: I started making preserved flower lockets before there was a category for it. I built the template, the process, and the aesthetic from nothing, and I have been refining it for almost five years. Every technique in the process is one I developed, tested, and improved myself.

What actually happens when you place a custom order

When a custom order comes in, it enters a handmade production queue. Here is what goes into each piece:

Flower selection and preparation. The preserved petals for your order are selected based on your chosen flowers and color preferences. Preservation is a delicate process, and only petals in the right condition are used.

Locket preparation. Each stainless steel locket is cleaned and inspected. The locket hardware is lead, iron, and nickel free, which matters because these pieces live against skin.

Arrangement and setting. The petals are arranged inside the locket by hand. The placement is intentional. Two lockets with the same flower variety will never look exactly the same because real flowers have natural variation.

Resin sealing. The petals are sealed in resin, which protects them and gives the finished piece its characteristic depth and clarity. The resin requires cure time before the locket can be closed and finished.

Chain and finishing. The locket is assembled on its chain, inspected, and packaged for shipping.

All of this is done by me, one order at a time, in New York City. On a given week I might be making 15 to 30 lockets. Each one gets the same attention to detail regardless of whether it is the first order of the day or the last.

Why it takes 3 weeks

The short answer is: because it is actually made. Not assembled from pre-made components, not outsourced, not batched through a machine. Made by a person, by hand, from scratch, for you specifically.

The 3-week window accounts for the full production and cure time, plus a small buffer for the reality of running a one-person studio. Most orders ship before the 3-week mark. If yours is taking longer than expected, I will always reach out proactively.

What you are getting

A piece of handmade preserved flower jewelry from the person who originated the category. Made in New York City. Ships to all 50 states and 35 countries. Every order packed with care because I know what it means to receive something you have been waiting for.

If you are ready to start yours, the Custom Flower Locket is the place to begin. Or if you already know you love lily of the valley, our Lily of the Valley Locket is waiting for you.

Thank you for being here. It genuinely means everything.

With love,
Mikaela