I know this is way overdue, but I just couldn’t seem to make myself acknowledge that Fall & Winter are coming this year. Winter in the far northeastern tip of the U.S. is harsh and lasts for far longer than it should. Summer however, is beautiful – both days. The last couple of winters have seemed particularly interminable to me and I believe I may be burnt out on Winter altogether. So, I did what any self respecting girl would do when faced with a reality she doesn’t want to face. I engaged in rampant denial. If I didn’t acknowledge that Fall was coming, then Winter wouldn’t come either – right? Wrong. The leaves here are starting to turn and August isn’t even over yet. I can no longer turn a blind eye to the fact that Fall is on our doorstep and it’s time to step up and take care of business. So, here is my list of gemstones that can be used to match the colors of Pantone®’s Fall/Winter 2014 Color Forecast.
This slightly brownish shade of gray makes for an interesting neutral. It can be shifted more toward either taupe or true gray depending on what colors are paired with it.
Labradorite is a Plagioclase Feldspar. What makes this stone so beautiful is the Schiller Effect or Labradorescence. When light hits the stone from various angles the stones displays a stunning array of metallic rainbow colors against the pale gray background.
Pearls represent timeless elegance. They are one of the few organic gemstones. Pearls are formed when an irritant, such as a grain of sand, gets into the shell of a mollusk. The creature secretes a substance called Nacre which coats the irritant, forming a hard, smooth shell around it. Today, most pearls are intentionally created by inserting a bead inside the shells of mollusks in pearl farms. Pearls are often dyed to achieve a rainbow of colors. Gray or Silver pearls can occur naturally or be dyed to a specific shade.
Moonstone is an Orthoclase Feldspar. Due to the crystal structure, this stone exhibits a rolling glow in the light (an effect known as Adularescence). Gray Moonstone colors vary from very pale almost transparent gray to deeper more opaque gray, sometimes with a brownish undertone.
Agate is a fairly common form of Chalcedony Quartz. Gray Agate has beautiful striations of varying shades of gray, white & black.
The more I look at this color, the more I fall in love with it. This pale gray with just enough of a hint of lavender to draw the eye. I think it would look lovely paired with Royal Blue, Cognac or even Sangria.
The elegance of pearls is enduring throughout history. They are one of the few organic gemstones. Pearls are formed when an irritant, such as a grain of sand, gets into the shell of a mollusk. The creature secretes a substance called Nacre which coats the irritant, forming a hard, smooth shell around it. Today, most pearls are intentionally created by inserting a bead inside the shells of mollusks in pearl farms. Pearls are often dyed to achieve a rainbow of colors. This subtle Lavender-Gray is one of my favorite colors for pearls.
Spinel is a beautiful, hard stone with a high refractive index, which gives it lots of sparkle. It can occur in virtually any color and the crystals are commonly free of inclusions, making for wonderfully clear cut stones. It is one of the few gemstones that is rarely ever subjected to enhancements of any kind. Gray or Silver Spinels that have just a touch of lavender make a great match for Sea Fog.
Sapphires are the mineral Corundum, which comes in virtually all colors. All colors of Corundum with the exception of red are considered Sapphires. Red Corundum is considered Ruby. Star Sapphires exhibit an effect called Asterism. This effect is caused by tiny needle like inclusions of Rutile within the crystal structure of the stone. Only Rutile inclusions that intersect at very specific angles will produce a well defined star. Star Sapphires occur mostly in blue, pink, orange, yellow, green, lavender, gray and black. The subtle grayish-lavender ones are among my favorites.
Jaspers are an opaque variety of Chalcedony (Quartz). They are a very commonly found gemstone and can occur in many beautiful colors and patterns. This grayish-lavender variety is a spot on match.
This beautiful Royal Blue manages to be elegant yet vivid at the same time. This lovely shade is one of the more eye-catching colors of the Fall Forecast.
This beautiful, richly colored stone has been prized since antiquity. Ground Lapis Lazuli was the pigment used by the Old Masters to create their Ultramarine Blue paints. Lapis deposits usually form in crystalline marble. Pyrite inclusions give the appearance of metallic gold speckles through the rich blue background. Throughout history right up to today, the finest Lapis Lazuli has been mined in what is now the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan.
Sapphires are the mineral Corundum, which comes in virtually all colors. All colors of Corundum with the exception of red are considered Sapphires. Red Corundum is considered Ruby. Blue Sapphires can occur in a wide ranges of blues from true blues to greenish, grayish or purplish blues.
Kyanite is a gemstone that occurs in a range of very rich blues, teals, greens and sometimes orange. The crystals form as long blades which can be difficult to cut due to their tendency to splinter. The stone can be opaque with a silvery chatoyant luster or clear & vividly rich in color.
This lovely stone is perhaps the best match for Pantone’s Royal Blue. Sodalite is often mistaken for Lapis Lazuli, although there are definite differences. Sodalite’s color is more Royal Blue than Ultramarine, it rarely contains Pyrite inclusions and it quite often contains white veining. This stone occurs not only in blue, but also in shades of gray, yellow, green or pink.
This gorgeous, saturated blue is almost the same color as Dazzling Blue, but ever so slightly more greenish and a bit less vivid. It is a beautiful, rich color that is a real attention grabber.
This fiery gemstone occurs in an array of colors ranging the entire spectrum. It’s high refractive index gives it brilliant sparkle, so much so that colorless Zircon was often used as a Diamond substitute. Naturally occurring Blue Zircon is quite rare. Most of the Blue Zircon on the market is reddish-brown Zircon that has been heated to turn it blue.
This Zinc Silicate mineral occurs in beautiful shades of blue ranging from pale ice blue through vivid peacock blue, pale pink and pale yellow. Quite often, it forms as a crystalline crust on other minerals and these deposits and is often cut as druzy cabochons.
Topaz is a Fluorine Aluminum Silicate that occurs in many colors from colorless to green, blue, red, pink and many shades of yellows & browns. Natural Blue Topaz is quite rare, although the rarest color is Red Topaz. Almost all Blue Topaz on the market has been irradiated to produce the lovely blue shades of Sky Blue, Swiss Blue & London Blue. Swiss Blue is the intense medium blue shade that falls between the pale Sky Blue and the deep London Blue.
This lovely Copper Ore is often mistaken for Turquoise because of it’s color. Chrysocolla is often found mixed with related Copper bearing minerals such as Malachite and Azurite as well as Quartz. This mix of stones can often result in interesting and attractive patterns displaying varying hues of blue, green, white & black.
Apatite is a form of Calcium Phosphate, which is the same thing our teeth and bones are made of. It is the most commonly occurring source of Phosphorus in the world, but clear, gem quality stones are rare and this soft gemstone is difficult to cut. Apatite occurs in shades of aqua, blue, green & yellow, more rarely it can be found in violet of reddish colors. The vivid rich shade known a “Neon Blue” makes a beautiful match for Bright Cobalt.
This cool, vibrant red is just beautiful! I’m a big fan of cool toned reds, but you don’t seem to find them often in fashion. Seeing this one turn up for the fall season gives me all kinds of warm fuzzy feelings.
Spinel is a beautiful, hard stone with a high refractive index, which gives it lots of sparkle. It can occur in virtually any color and the crystals are commonly free of inclusions, making for wonderfully clear cut stones. It is one of the few gemstones that is rarely ever subjected to enhancements of any kind. Vivid Red Spinel is always a highly prized show-stopper.
This fiery gemstone occurs in an array of colors ranging the entire spectrum. It’s high refractive index gives it brilliant sparkle, so much so that colorless Zircon was often used as a Diamond substitute. Deep Red Zircon is a truly lovely stone that can range in color from vivid deep red to a more muted brownish red.
This lovely stone is Labradorite that has been diffusion treated with Copper to give it a vibrant red color. When this gemstone first hit the market, the geographic origin and the fact that it was a diffusion treated stone were not disclosed, causing quite a bit of controversy. Andesine often shows the metallic Schiller effect that Labradorite is known for, shimmering with green, red & sometimes yellow iridescence under strong light. It is also sold as “Red Labradorite” or “Andesine-Labradorite”.
Sapphires are the mineral Corundum, which comes in virtually all colors. All colors of Corundum with the exception of red are considered Sapphires. Red Corundum is considered Ruby. These gorgeous Sapphires come from the Songea mines in Tanzania. They occur in a wide array of vivid, saturated colors. Technically, the rich reds are Ruby, but they are mostly marketed as Sapphires.
Also known as “Red Emerald” or “Bixbite”, this variety of Beryl is extremely beautiful and extremely rare. It has only ever been found in a couple of locations in the states of Utah & New Mexico. It rarely ever occurs in large crystals, so high carat sized stones are virtually unheard of. Excellent quality Red Beryl can sell for upwards of $10,000 a carat. This is truly a luxury gemstone.
This shade of Loden Green is soft, earthy and attractive. Although it’s not a shade everyone can wear successfully, when you’ve got the right skin tone for it, it looks great.
This lovely gemstone is actually quite rare. When it is found, it is usually in the form of brown or yellow crystals. Kornerupine can occur naturally in shades of green, yellow, brown, pink or as a clear stone. Cat’s Eye and Star effects are sometimes found and this stone is somewhat pleochroic, meaning the color shifts in different lighting. The most highly prized color is vivid green.
There are actually 2 different types of stones that fall under the heading of Jade, Nephrite & Jadeite. Nephrite has a more resinous luster to it and Jadeite is generally considered the more valuable stone due to it’s greater translucency. Olive green Canadian Nephrite is a beautiful choice for Cypress.
Moldavite is a member of the Tektite group of stones, meaning it is a space rock. This natural glass was caused by a meteor impact and is only found in the Moldau River region in Czechoslavakia. Generally it is olive green to dull brownish green, but the most highly prized color is a vivid bottle green. There are many fakes out there and most of them are just remelted green bottle glass, so care must be exercised when buying this beautiful gemstone.
Also known as “Idocrase”, this Silicate gemstone is named after Mt. Vesuvius, where it was first found. Vesuvianite naturally occurs in green, brown, yellow & blue. The olive green variety goes wonderfully with Pantone’s Cypress.
The Tourmaline group of boron silicate gemstones encompasses a number of stones that are grouped by color. The most highly prized color being the neon Aqua of “Paraiba Tourmaline”. Traces of Iron and Titanium within the crystal structure can produce green hued stones.
I just LOVE rich, saturated jewel tones and this one is no exception. Sangria is a spectacular color and the gemstones to match it are equally spectacular.
Alexandrite is a variety of Chrysoberyl, the 3rd hardest frequently occurring natural gemstone. This stone is strongly Pleochroic, meaning the color changes under different lighting conditions. Colors generally appear to shift between green/bluish green in daylight and red/raspberry red under incandescent light. Fine quality Alexandrite is extremely rare. Approximately 90% of the Alexandrite on the market today was grown in a laboratory.
Because of it’s reputation as the most colorful mineral in the world, Fluorite is second in popularity only to Quartz with gem & mineral collectors. This member of the Halide group is composed of calcium fluoride and is strongly fluorescent. It will glow vividly under UV light. This beautiful, versatile gemstone is fairly soft so it must be treated with care.
Garnets are a group of silicate minerals that possess similar physical properties & crystal structure but vary in chemical compositon. Until recently, it was believed that Garnet occured naturally in all colors except blue. However, the recent discovery of the pleochroic Color-Change Blue Garnet dispelled that myth. Rhodolite is a member of the Pyrope Garnet family. It typically varies from deep to vivid raspberry red.
Rubellite is the intensely colored pink-red variety of Tourmaline. One of the defining hallmarks of Rubellite is that, unlike other Tourmalines, the color displays just as intensely in both daylight & artificial light with none of the brownish hue characteristic of more common pink Tourmaline. The most highly prized shade of Rubellite is vivid red.
Cognac is another cool toned version of what is usually a warm color. This mocha brown makes for a wonderful neutral.
This member of the Quartz family occurs in a range of shades from transparent beige to opaque black. The rich medium to dark brown shades a simply stunning.
Brown diamonds occur in a range of shades from the palest champagne to the deepest chocolate. The lovely cool brown color of these diamonds makes them a very good match for Cognac.
Welo Opal was discovered in Ethiopia in 2008. Unlike Australian Opal, Welo Opal is found in nodules rather than seams. The color play in this gorgeous stone often matches or exceeds that of Australian Opal. Darker background colors are more highly prized, but care should be exercised when purchasing Welo Opal. A lot of dealers are selling so called “Black Welo Opal” which has a charcoal black background. To date NO Black Welo Opal has been found. This stone is actually regular Welo Opal that has been soaked in black india ink to give it a dark background.
Pearls represent timeless elegance. They are one of the few organic gemstones. Pearls are formed when an irritant, such as a grain of sand, gets into the shell of a mollusk. The creature secretes a substance called Nacre which coats the irritant, forming a hard, smooth shell around it. Today, most pearls are intentionally created by inserting a bead inside the shells of mollusks in pearl farms. Pearls are often dyed to achieve a rainbow of colors. Chocolate Pearls range in color from mocha to rich deep espresso.
Topaz is a Fluorine Aluminum Silicate that occurs in many colors from colorless to green, blue, red, pink and many shades of yellows & browns. Natural Blue Topaz is quite rare, although the rarest color is Red Topaz. This rich brown Topaz is a naturally occurring color and usually requires no enhancements.
This warm, subtle pastel lilac is a bit of an unusual color. I think would pair beautifully with Cognac.
Amethyst is the purple variety of Quartz. Lighter lilac varieties are often marketed under the name Cape Amethyst.
This pretty lilac stone is a lithium bearing variety of stones in the Mica group. “Lilac Stone” is another name that it is labeled with in the market. It has a subtle sparkle and somewhat pearly luster to it and can occur in shades of pink, lilac and grayish purple. Lepidolite is an extremely soft stone and must be impregnated with resin in order to be used for jewelry.
This beautiful, unusual stone is also known as “Tiffany Stone”. It is an Opalized Fluorite and displays a gorgeous array of creams, purples, brownish reds and sometimes blues.
Spinel is a beautiful, hard stone with a high refractive index, which gives it lots of sparkle. It can occur in virtually any color and the crystals are commonly free of inclusions, making for wonderfully clear cut stones. It is one of the few gemstones that is rarely ever subjected to enhancements of any kind.
Agates are a form of Chalcedony Quartz which typically display bands of varying colors and translucence. Some varieties have inclusions which resemble plant life or form fantastic patterns. Agates occur naturally in many colors and are also dyed vivid colors. This lovely variety of Lavender Agate comes from Mexico.
Much like Radiant Orchid, I just can’t seem to make myself like this color. I must admit, I was really surprised to see it in the Fashion Forecast lineup because, quite frankly, this bright ochre color is flattering to pretty much… umm… no one.
This colorful variety of Jasper hails predominantly from the Mooka Creek area of Australia. It occurs in shades red, yellow, brown & cream that are usually mixed together, forming interesting patterns. Since it is an opaque stone, it is normally sold as cabochons, beads or tumbled nuggets.
Like Pearls, Amber is an organic gemstone. It is the fossilized resin (not sap) of ancient conifer trees and is about 50 million years old. Baltic Amber and Dominican Blue Amber are two of the most highly prized varieties of Amber. The swirling creams & yellows of Butterscotch Amber has always been a particular favorite of mine.
The term ‘Jasper’ is used to refer to opaque varieties of Chalcedony Quartz. Jaspers occur in many colors and patterns all over the world. Ocher yellow Jasper is a great match for Misted Yellow.
Opals are a hydrated silica gemstone with a water content that can range fro 3-21%. Unlike Precious Opal, Common Opal dies not display any of the typical multicolored Opal ‘fire’ and can range in color from white to yellow, pink, green & blue. Common Yellow Opal of African origin is quite popular for gemstone beads & cabochons and makes a wonderful match for Misted Yellow.
This rare, little known gemstone comes in a variety of colors with the most common being honey yellow. Scapolite is a soft stone best suited for use in pendants or earrings. Clear gem quality Scapolite is quite rare although I have seen quite a bit of brown Cat’s Eye Scapolite around lately.
This transparent to translucent variety of Opal ranges in color from colorless through all shades of Vivid yellow, orange & red. Fire Opal sometimes, but not always, displays fiery color play. The most common colors for fire in these opals is green & red, but high quality specimens will display fiery color across the entire spectrum. The highest quality Fire Opal comes from the Queretaro region in Mexico.
Well, there’s my list list of gemstones to match Pantone’s Fall 2014 Color Forecast. Once again, there are some I absolutely love and some that really just don’t grab me. What are your favorites from this forecast? I’d love to hear what other people think of these colors and these gemstones.