Review: RockLove Jewelry’s Mass Effect relay necklace
Photo by Lisa Granshaw
Ever since RockLove Jewelry and BioWare released a necklace inspired by the mass relays in the video game series Mass Effect, I’ve been dying to see what the piece looks like up close. I’m a huge fan of the Mass Effect trilogy, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in November, and the mass relays are an important element to the universe as they’re the main way you travel across the galaxy in the game. Could such a huge piece of technology responsible for transporting entire ships really be translated into an elegant piece of jewelry? It turns out it can!
The necklace (disclosure: necklace provided by RockLove for review) will not disappoint if you’re a Mass Effect fan and want a detailed interpretation of the relays in a stylish piece you can wear anytime. The handmade sterling silver pendant looks beautiful up close. There is amazing detailing along the pendant to make it truly look like the advanced devices. The most impressive detail though is how RockLove has chosen to represent the relay’s central part with its spinning rings surrounding the element zero core we see in game. There are two gyroscopic rings surrounding a stunning apatite gem and the rings actually move. The gem is a perfect fit for the bright blue we’re used to seeing in a relay, spinning in the center with a pretty mix of blue and green seen throughout.
Photo by Lisa Granshaw
My biggest concern from seeing the item online was its size. I usually prefer smaller pieces to larger, statement items and I was worried about how big the relay pendant might be. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it’s not as big as I was expecting. It’s not a small pendant and is larger than the pendants I usually wear at about three inches, but it doesn’t look as big as I thought it would and it’s actually quite light. It never felt like it was clunky or too much when I wore it. It never felt heavy at the end of the day or like it was getting in the way during my daily routine.
Photo by Lisa Granshaw
The mass relay necklace is an elegant way to show your love for Mass Effect and a great example of how well RockLove can translate even perhaps the most unlikely aspects from our favorite media to jewelry. The pendant is a good size in not being too small to lose detailing and not being too big to feel like it’s uncomfortable to wear. If Commander Shepard saw the pendant, I think she just might say it’s her favorite necklace on the Citadel!
You can find the relay necklace at the BioWare Store, which is currently offering 20% off certain items on the site through Monday.
Don't forget to sign up for GeekFold so you can receive the week's essential geek fashion news every Friday!