Precious Details

"Light pink or bright pink. Aquamarine or sky blue. Golden yellow or ruby red. And the list could go on and on seeing as how precious stones offer an infinite range of colors and can be matched to any outfit. Coral red can be perfectly paired with light, layered tops in salmon. There's the the necklace (above), for example, featuring red and white coral along with pink sapphires and peridots.

Looks in green or blue find a perfect match in turquoise, tourmaline, tsavorites or even lemon quartz with artistic gold leaf. Deep red and orange go well not just with Burmese rubies but look great with the reflections offered by white pearls and arabesques in platinum or white gold.

Sweet pastel-colored cabochon-cut pieces bring something light to a dark top while lemon quartz, citrines, topazes and yellow sapphires can all be mixed together or set in yellow gold to offer a personal touch to a delicate, pale yellow ensemble." (Bassi, March 29, 2012)

For jewelry designers that incorporate precious/ semi-precious stones in their work it is important to understand the impact a gem can have on both a design and an outfit. However, the most important aspect to designing with gemstones is the comprehension of effective stone mixing. Pairing the wrong stone with another can make a designer appear immature and inexperienced. To improve your mixing of precious/ semi-precious stones I have highlighted some of the most popular gems categorized under the Fall 2012 Pantone colors to that which they relate.

1. Pantone Fall 2012 Color: Tangerine Tango

Complementary Gemstones: Mexican fire opal, 

spessartite garnet, moonstone

2. Pantone Fall 2012 Color: Olympian Blue

 Complementary Gemstones: sapphire, aquamarine, blue topaz, 

blue zircon, chalcedony, and lapis

3. Pantone Fall 2012 Colors: Ultramarine Green 

and Bright Chartreuse

 Complementary Gemstones: emerald, green onyx, demantoid 

garnet, chrome tourmaline, jadeite jade, green chalcedony, 

agate, and zircon

4. Pantone Fall 2012 Colors: French Roast 

and Titanium

Complementary Gemstones: whiskey quartz, smoky quartz, 

chocolate diamonds, black sapphires, onyx, and jade

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