Pantone Colors Gemstones: Here's The Details
October 15, 2020
As you know, the Pantone Colour Institute in New Jersey, U.S. picks a specific colour for every year. Most often, their choice is applauded by the fashion industry that then incorporates it into new designs often making it the focal point. Often too the colour choice for whatever year matches well with or contrasts various gemstones, e.g. and my personal favorites Radiant Orchid (2014) and Ultra Violet (2018). At other times though matching, contrasting and complimenting is difficult and sometimes downright impossible as in the 2019 Living Coral colour choice.
This year’s pick, to my mind anyway, poses a similarly impossible task of matching it to other gems, even though it is the universal favorite colour, blue. Given the many blue gemstones from the palest hue or shade -Sky Blue Sapphire, Apatite, Aquamarine, Larimar to the darkest and most highly saturated and highly prized Blue Sapphire – you could argue that I must be wrong in saying this year’s Pantone pick poses a serious task to both the fashion industry and finding complimentary or matching gemstones.
What then is Pantone’s colour for 2020? Answer: Classic Blue, that really tells us nothing but has the expectation that it must be an elegant and sophisticated colour whereas the reality is that it is drab and uninspired and in keeping with the comment or advertising hype from Laurie Pressman, VP of the Pantone Colour Institute, as reminiscent of the sky at dusk. Now I grant you beauty, or in this instance colour, is in the eye of the beholder, so you might see this Classic Blue as inspired or aspirational whereas I see it exactly the opposite as uninspired, dull, flat and drab because there is not a hint of the other colours often seen in the evening sky.
Similar colors to this Classic Blue
I could think of only three similar colours: the Blue Sapphire with its highly saturated blue color and Lapis Lazuli, also in a beautiful rich dark blue colour variously described as Midnight Blue, Royal Blue or Marine Blue with an equally rich history that dates all the way back to Ancient Egypt (adorns King Tut’s Funeral Mask) except for the fact that the Lapis is not just a solid beautiful blue but has tiny golden pyrite specks in it. These gold coloured pyrite specks or flakes do not affect the cost of the Lapis if they are evenly distributed throughout the stone. A word of caution though if you’re thinking of buying a Lapis gemstone, buy quality because the lowest quality is dull and green, not that rich midnight blue.
Contrasting colours for the Classic Blue
Keeping in mind Laurie Pressman’s description of Pantone’s colour choice of Classic Blue for 2020 as being ‘reminiscent of the sky at dusk’ and the fact that the sky at that time often has streaks of pink and purple, my first pick would be the incomparable Tanzanite, also a beautiful blue with the addition of a purple hue. My second favourite contrasting gemstone – though it could easily fit into the Similar Colours category – is the exquisite Mystic Mercury Topaz because its colours encapsulate the blue of Pantone’s Classic Blue and the additional pink and purple streaks we often see in the sky at dusk. You might also check Tourmaline because Tourmalines come in every colour you can think of in such variety to suit the preferred colour choice of everyone on earth.
And then to lighten up that dull Classic Blue, think green, e.g. the gorgeous Peridot that resembles the colour of the new leaves in springtime; the lesser-known and therefore the more appealing green garnet Tsavorite;. The fabulous ‘top drawer’ Emerald, and the Russian Diopside AKA the Russian Emerald. And as for those pink streaks in the sky at dusk, you might consider the Rose Quartz, a delicate colour, or for a more defined colour, the Rubellite, and here too a Tourmaline where you’re sure to find the ideal pink to contrast that drab Classic Blue.
For a more extensive list of gemstones that would favorably compare, contrast, or compliment Pantone’s Classic Blue color choice for 2020, you should contact LL Private Jewellers at 604-684-6343
