As soon as I saw the picture of it, I jumped on it like a duck on a June bug! Anything multi-gemstone,colorful, & candy-looking will get my attention immediately. But lurking in the back of my mind, I was wondering whether I would find it too sombre for my tastes. I hate anything Gothic, Victorian, Byzantine, hate autumn & autumn colors, never wear black except as an accent (shows all the wrinkles), hate heavily treed & shaded landscapes, & in general hate anything too serious-looking. I love jewelry, clothes, & houses that are light-hearted, airy, cute, whimsical, & colorful. I love light, bright, clear colors, & feel uplifted by endless sunny meadows. That being said, this piece was the first Ripka piece I have ever bought that I was totally on the fence about. The workmanship is superb - beautifully finished, heavy silver presence, gemstones set beautifully. My only hesitation is that the piece is visually heavy - something I usually don't gravitate towards. I know all the black spinel paveed stones next to the colorful gemstones make the piece dramatic & that is what I believe Judith was trying to achieve. But plebeian that I am, I would have preferred white clear DMQ stones instead of the paveed black spinel... or perhaps more silver presence interspersed w/ the gemstones to lighten it up a bit. I love my black onyx pieces that have a lot of silver & clear DMQ because the black/white contrast is breath-taking. So I am in no way criticizing this piece. Any hesitation I had was just my own personal preference & my propensity for the light, bright, & light-hearted. I think this piece will get fabulous reviews. And it is truly different from any other JR piece. I must have gone back & forth a million times on this piece (something I have never done), but in the end I decided to keep it. I will wear it w/ all white clothes & perhaps layer it w/ just the thin silver rolling bracelet. It looks great w/ the pierced bypass ring w/ the black onyx tips (don't have the J number). If you have a love for the dramatic & the mysterious, you will love it!!!
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