Although I bridle at the idea, I think it is possible to add jewels to pipes in a tasteful way. There have been one or two examples in Forums posts where this was done to pleasing effect despite my cringing at the thought. I think the concept is objectionable because it takes the pipe too far from its admirable function of using natural materials to commune with the burning leaf. (Not that acrylic is natural, but I digress.) However, this mistreatment of the Peterson dracula, which is already kind of camp and pop art in a droll subtle way ... this really just looks tacky. The added materials don't surprise the viewer or add any emphasis or magic. They look pasted on and added, and the drac' pipe loses all of its pop art charm. When you use incongruity in "art," which is what this is trying to do, the two elements being joined have to strike a new note and say something revealing or at least unexpected. This just looks like a patchwork of parts, and the diamonds don't help at all. If this makes someone happy, I'm happy for them. If they showed it off to me, I'd say something like, "Now that's a pipe!" Groan.
