1. How did you come up with the idea of searching for the perfect formula to give roses eternal shine?
Aleksandar Nedeljkovic: Five years ago, I was thinking about what could be a unique and luxurious gift for a woman that a man who loves and respects her could give her, showing his admiration, respect, and willingness to make an effort for her. At that time, there was no such product in our country. There were a few imitations of roses, but no real roses were gilded with real gold.
2. How long did you find a way to put roses and orchids in gold and silver?
AN: It took me a lot of time. It took me about a year to research how to get a gilded eternal rose from an ordinary natural rose. Through research, I came up with the process and materials that allow me to do that and people who can do it for me. Since I am not a florist or a goldsmith by education, I could visualize the finished product and realize it in reality despite the difficulties that occurred at the beginning. The most challenging problem was making the rose withstand applying precious metals without losing its beauty.
Aleksandar Nedeljkovic Linkedin
3. In your assortment, there are roses and orchids. Do you aim to expand the range with some other flowers?
AN: Not at the moment. In principle, men buy roses the most because they represent a synonym for the flower of love and the flower that is given as a gift. Women are not indifferent to roses either. Orchids are different, unusual, refined, delicate, elegant, and lighter. It requires more patience in the making.
4. How long does it take to make one gilded flower?
AN: It depends; there are more steps involved. First comes the preparation of the rose and its dehydration. Then, several layers of preparation are applied for the final layer.
It takes about a month to make a flower. Of course, not just one flower is made, but a certain amount is made in a series. It is not worth starting production for one flower. So, we always have ready-made roses and orchids in stock due to the time of production quality control. When they “stand” in stock and there are no changes, then we are 100% sure the flower will last forever without any modifications.
Of course, we have had a few unusual requests so far. For example, one lady inquired if we could gild broccoli. At first, I thought she was joking, but she was serious. Something like that is possible, but it is too expensive to do one broccoli. The time plus unsuccessful samples until we get the right piece that is perfectly done is costly, and usually, customers want to avoid paying for it.
5. Can you tell us more about the production process?
AN: As I already mentioned, it is a process that consists of several steps. If we break down ten main stages, we will reach about 40 steps in production. These 40 exemplary steps allow us to apply the final gilding or silver plating layer. Customers often ask us, “Do you spray it?” “No, we don’t spray it.” Gilding or silver plating is an electrochemical process that applies a thin layer of 24-carat gold or 925 silver to the surface of the metal. Gold does not oxidize, i.e., it does not turn black. Silver is different, so with silver plating, there is one more step: the lacquering of the rose or orchid. That way, we protect it and ensure it will not turn black, i.e., it will always be shiny.
The Lady® name and design of roses and orchids, as well as the creation of the clear plastic packaging, are protected by the Intellectual Property Office. In this way, we guarantee that you are buying a unique product. Each rose, and orchid has its certificate of authenticity and a holographic protective sticker with a serial number.
Nature is a miracle, and there are no identical people or two identical flowers. That is why each Lady®'s rose and orchid is unique; there are no two identical ones.
The basis of each is an absolute natural flower. Lady® rose and orchid is designed and created in Serbia.
6. How can a gilded or silver-plated rose orchid be maintained, and what is its lifespan?
AN: It is easy to maintain. It is enough to keep it somewhere dry. Dust is removed with a clean, slightly damp cloth and wiped dry to dry. Our Lady® rose and orchid is eternal. They have no expiration date unless you manually destroy them. In addition, we provide a 24-month warranty.