Improvement Meme - Crescent Rose I and II

 This is my entry to DamaiMikaz's 2017 Improvement Challenge! 

2017 improvement challenge [closed]Update 28-02-18
Small update on the judging, since so many people ask.
Unfortunately real life and health issues have been getting a bit in the way of my online activity lately. That combined with the sheer number of entries and all of the stories that come with them (many people wrote large texts in the descriptions) make judging both hard and time consuming. There will be judging, but I really want to do watch and read every entry properly, as that would be fair to all of the contestants. Long story short; it's gonna take another while.
Update 02-02-18

The contest now is officially closed.
To those that submitted, please make sure your work is in the contest folder. If not (and you submitted your entry according to the rules) please send me a message.
There's a lot of entries, and I want to actually read all of descriptions people wrote underneath the

 Crescent Rose is Ruby Rose's signature weapon from the animated TV series, RWBY. I decided to remake my Crescent Rose pendant for the challenge; the original (v1, left) and new version (v2, right) can be seen here:

Major improvements for v2:

Design: 

 Overall, my design for v2 is sleeker, more intricate, and flows better compared to v1.

 Incorporated a commenter's suggestion that I use 26 gauge (thinner) wire instead of 24 gauge (thicker) wire in my pieces for a more elegant look.

 There were instances where the wire endings and color transitions on the original scythe ended on the black wire. The former made it possible for the wire to scratch the user, and the latter made it more likely that the wire endings would rub against each other, chipping away the protective enamel copper coating on the wires. I fixed both issues in my new piece.

 I prevented the wires from overlapping with each other. This was a problem with the first piece, which had some areas with burgundy on burgundy wire. As a commenter on the original piece noted, this overlap detracted from the appearance of the piece.

 The bottom section of the handle looks a lot nicer, and the wires end in a more elegant way at the bottom of the scythe (rather than coming back up to wrap around the red part of the scythe handle).


Structural Stability and Durability:

 While my original scythe had a single, forward-facing wire for the bale, my new scythe's bale is comprised of three wires and faces the side. The longer bale makes it easier to thread the velvet cord through the bale, and also makes adjustments easier for the wearer. The side orientation makes the piece harder to flip and allows the cord to be threaded in a more aesthetically pleasing manner.

 The bale is closer to the center of mass, preventing the piece from leaning on one side.

 Some of the aluminum roses on the original piece were awkwardly angled, and could be moved in at least one direction. The roses on the new piece are bound so that the wearer cannot move them back and forth.


Canonical Accuracy:

 I incorporated more of Crescent Rose's features into my new scythe, so it looks more like the version from the show. The proportions of the scythe are more similar to that of Crescent Rose.

 The colors on the piece go better together, and also fits Ruby's character design more, as she doesn't have any light brown colors on her outfit.

Note that while I take canonical accuracy into consideration when designing my pieces, I'm not interested in making replicas. My intent is to create my own version that reflects Ruby's weapon, design, personality, and story.


Photography and Presentation:

 The presence of the velvet cord makes it immediately clear to the viewer that this piece is a pendant.

 My use of light reflectors and decision to photograph the piece away from direct sunlight made the shadows cast by the piece less prominent.

 My watermark is more elegant and fits the style of this piece more. I placed it in the corner to prevent it from distracting the viewer from my piece.