The Black Diamond is simply gorgeous. Honestly, it's even prettier than the picture, so I was excited to see if it could live up to its looks. Conclusion: In summary I would have to say that its performance has outshone its pretty looks, with a only few small reservations. Here's why I love it, why I don't, and why it will have a home on the top shelf of my toy chest anyway.

This toy is equally suitable for use alone or with a partner and comes with all the boxes checked. It is multi-speed with separate controls for the rotating head and the vibrating clitoral stimulator, along with an option to reverse rotation. There are three levels of intensity for both the head and the vibrator, and a nice little light up indicator shows the current setting and comes in handy if you're not playing alone.

This is a phthalates free jelly toy. It cannot be sterilized like a silicone toy and so should not be shared without an effective barrier, such as a condom. There was, however, no noticeable odor or taste. This toy is smooth and pleasant to touch and not at all sticky or tacky like some jelly materials tend to feel.

Did I mention how pretty the Black Diamond is? With a 1 3/8" diameter, this toy is not too much for a beginner, but was more than adequate to get the job done. I love the see-through beaded section; it's just a cool modern touch. I did not like the rodent licking my clitoris, just as I don't like a hummingbird or a dolphin pleasuring me, but it was one effective rodent. The Black Diamond is not discreet, but it does give credence to that whole "girl's best friend" cliche and is special enough to make a really cool gift.

Old batteries do not serve this toy well, I found, so grab a fresh set as soon as the mail arrives. I loved that I was in control with the Black Diamond. Three speed settings for the clitoral vibrator and three settings for the rotating beads with a reverse option let me get it just right without much practice. My greatest disappointment was that the clitoral vibrator decreasing control stopped working after only two weeks. I now have to unscrew the cap, causing the batteries to lose contact, in order to stop the vibration. I am hoping that this is not indicative of how well the toy will hold up to continued use.

One of my favorite features of the Black Diamond wasn't even mentioned in the description. The underneath side of that odd little beaver, just below the strange flicking tongue, is textured or nubby. Simply put - exquisite! Which leads to my other favorite feature - the problem with rabbit-style toys is always that every body is spaced differently and lines up differently. So that wonderfully designed clitoral stimulator might be no where near your clitoris, a rather frustrating problem. The beaver part on the Black Diamond is completely flexible with no hard interior parts connecting it to the main body of the toy, other than a thin wire. What this means is that you're going to be able to get it exactly where you need it. That feature alone would make this toy a winner.

I do have to mention, because I'm just that way, that if you look closely just below the head of the toy there's a smile, almost like a mischievous monk grinning back at you. I have no idea why it's there or if it's a trademark of all Pipedream toys, but once I spent some time with my new Black Diamond I was just grinning back at it happily.

As I said the Black Diamond is made of a phthalate free jelly. "Jelly material can't be sterilized like silicone-so no boiling water. Since jelly toys can't be sanitized they can't be shared-unless you put a condom over them. Clean jelly toys with the [sic] warm water and toy cleaner. Don't use strong soaps on them and keep in a cool dark place." Simple clean up with no hard to clean nooks or crannies -- you won't feel like you spent more time washing this toy than you spent enjoying it.

This toy comes with clean, modern packaging suitable for such a pretty toy. The box is translucent, matte plastic with minimal black and silver decoration and a description. Instructions are not detailed, but the toy is not difficult to figure out. Perfect for gift giving, the packaging isn't really designed for repeated storage.