Unique Earrings
This is a wonderful gift for someone who has or has had a dog named "Blue." I've received many compliments every time I've worn the earrings, especially from dog lovers and fans of Mr. Bojangles.<br /><br />If Amazon permitted ¾ star reviews, I would have given this 3¾ stars instead of 4 but even so, I don't feel uncomfortable giving it 4 stars. The reason it lost a star was because to me, the Swarovski crystals feel too large and bright and as a result seem to overpower the dogs. I wish the crystals were smaller or that the dogs were larger so that the crystals would be a highlight instead of the focus. It's hard to see this in the picture on Amazon because the earrings look as though they were taken in the best possible light or lack there of, as the case may be(!). Also, I felt like the earrings were a little overpriced by about $10 (current price is ~$60).<br /><br />I'd also like to make a comment about the seller, Artazia. This was not factored into my rating of the earrings but because it could impact the way buyers view reviews of Artazia's items, I think it's important to mention.<br /><br />On October 18, 2011, I received an e-mail from the seller and was saddened to read the following:<br /><br />"As a small token, for every 4-5 Stars rating you leave us within the next 3 days, we will e-mail you a $10 coupon code good for any purchase from The Artazia Collection. You will receive the code within two business days after your feedback is approved and published by Amazon.<br /><br />"Better yet, if at the same time you also add a short, 4-5 star review of the item you purchased from Artazia (this can be done on the item page on Amazon) we will double the coupon amount to $20."<br /><br />I purposely waited until the fifth day to post a comment so no one would wonder if my rating was genuine. I wouldn't have minded if Artazia offered a discount for feedback without stipulating a rating but this feels unethical to me. I realize that Amazon changes the placement of items in search results based on ratings but shouldn't an item's rating stand on the item's merit instead of being bought? I like Artazia's unique, funky jewelry and I had planned to purchase the matching pin but now no longer feel comfortable doing so. Should their policy change, I'll reconsider this stance.<br /><br />Whether or not this feedback serves as a factor for potential buyers when purchasing from Artazia, I hope they'll at least keep this policy in mind while reading reviews of Artazia's items. $20 off is almost half price of some of their items, which could serve as an incentive to give a high rating. I especially hope Artazia will reconsider their current policy on procuring feedback and have more faith in the quality of their own artwork.
Rating: 4 stars