Recently Jagex has been adding a lot of items that have a particle effect to them. The largest particle set would have to be the Aura set. All auras give a slight particle effect when activated as we all know.
So the discussion question is, do you enjoy the particles, or see them as a useless addition to the aesthetics of the game?
I like them, I think they look good!
I just hope they do not get overused, one of the reasons I like them is because they are rarer. When I see them, I know that the person has a special item (excluding auras).
"If everybody helps his neighbour then who needs help?"
Coming from many other MMOs where they used particle effects on armor/weapons/other gear, I'm used to it. I do like the effects, though, but like Micah said: As long as they aren't over-used. If a lot of items had that extra flair to them, it would make them less special and more annoying because all you'd see is flashes of light all over the screen when people were running around.
I too enjoy the particle effects, as long as it doesn't become too common. They're a nice addition to certain weapons that it makes sense to apply them to, they give an added avenue of customization which is never a bad thing.