A[IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3056659/width/200/height/400[/IMG] is this cake made of buttercream? Is the decoration all piping?

Frankly, I can't tell. Could be buttercream. The picture is not very good and the only other sites where I found it are Russian.

The boarders look like they are which makes me think the whole thing is.

I would say yes.  It has a little bit of a sheen on the tops of the tiers that looks like a buttercream reflection. 
 

It most definately looks like it is iced in crusting b'cream.  I have done several very similar ones.

AThe only thing that makes me question whether it is buttercream is the gold dust on the piping. If that is gold dust on the piping? It is really hard to see details in that picture. If it indeed is, it would be very hard to avoid getting the dust on the buttercream, wouldn't it? Actually, if anyone knows how to get the effect of shimmery gold piping without having to do all the piping and then painstakingly paint it all with lustre dust, I would love to learn how!

AIt isn't a great picture, at least I can't focus in much from my iPad but I think it's entirely made of buttercream, with all decorations being piped, except the middle tier looks like an impression mat was used.

AOr those metal impression pieces (they look like cookie cutters) they come in different sizes, basically the tool looks like it has three diamond cookie cutters stacked on top of each other. Again I'm referring to the middle tier

AI really think it is buttercream.

What the heck is on top?!

Feathers?

AThose are peacock feathers on the top! Lol my bride likes this cake, her colors are deep purple, teal and gold. She likes the designs on the sides. I'm not good enough yet to do something that intricate, so I am toying with doing fondant and piping onto the fondant, or stick with the buttercream and piping?? There will also be peacock feathers! :)

That cake sort of reminds me of a pineapple, with the feathers being the top and the cake the actual fruit.