Pantone’s colours of the year have sparked fresh creativity in the fine jewellery space, with jewellers looking to the much-anticipated annual colour trend for inspiration and contemporary design ideas.

The Pantone Color Institute started its Color of the Year programme in 1999, kicking off with Cerulean for the year 2000 as the world welcomed a new millennium. The aim was to spark conversation about the unique and important role that colours play in culture and artistry. Each colour selection is carefully curated based on trend analysis, current events and prevailing sentiments. 

Over the years, these have rippled through the jewellery and gemstone sector, guiding artisans in their pursuit of colour harmony, emotional storytelling and visual allure. 

From deep earthy browns to electrifying magentas, each chosen colour invites a fresh design interpretation – eliciting anticipation in an industry that thrives on novelty and artistry. 

The institute recently named Cloud Dancer as its colour of the year for 2026. Cloud Dancer is described as a billowy white imbued with a feeling of serenity. The ethereal white hue serves as a symbol of calming influence in a frenetic society rediscovering the value of measured consideration and quiet reflection.

Rainbow moonstone, white Akoya or South Sea pearls, soft grey spinel and light brown diamonds, among other ethereal, milky-white gems, align with Cloud Dancer and could very well influence jewellery trends moving forward.

Let us revisit Pantone colours of the past five years and the gemstones that best reflect their fascinating hues and meanings.

Illuminating and Ultimate Gray (2021)

Contrast was the name of the game in 2021 when Pantone launched “Illuminating” – a lively yellow – and “Ultimate Gray” – a steadfast neutral – as twin colours of the year. The duo inspired inventive pairings in fine jewellery, with the combination of brilliance and calm elegance echoing a universal desire for hope grounded in stability. 

Illuminating is best represented by gemstones in bright yellow hues such as yellow sapphire and opal, Imperial topaz and citrine. Yellow diamond, golden beryl (heliodore), chrysoberyl, garnet, tourmaline, jade, peridot (in yellow or lemon hues), amber, golden South Sea pearl and zircon likewise exemplify this colour.

Grey variants of various gems such as spinel, sapphire, smokey quartz, onyx, jade, labradorite, moonstone and even black and grey diamonds meanwhile breathe life into Ultimate Gray. 
 

 

Very Peri (2022)

Refreshingly soothing, Pantone’s Very Peri is a dynamic periwinkle blue hue with a vivifying violet-red undertone. Its courageous presence encourages personal inventiveness and creativity.

It was also meant to express the hope, courage and determination of a world adjusting to the new normal in post-Covid lockdown times. Very Peri found a perfect match in gemstones such as tanzanite, iolite, amethyst and blue-violet spinel. Jewellery artists leaned into this dreamlike palette, creating whimsical pieces that played with transparency and texture. In a time of transformation, these stones rose to fame as symbols of imagination and rebirth.

Very Peri also hold its own in monochromatic shades of blue, dainty pastel ensembles or striking contrasts with solid reds and greens.

Tanzanite and pink tourmaline earrings by Roberto Coin
 

Viva Magenta (2023)

The vigour and vitality of Viva Magenta triggered a surge of bold designs in 2023. Exhibiting a nuanced crimson red tone that presents a balance between warm and cool, Viva Magenta is “assertive, but not aggressive,” according to the institute.

Exuding dynamism, optimism and bravery, Viva Magenta is best exemplified by popular red gems such as ruby, rubellite, red spinel and garnet. Other gems that bear vibrant crimson hues are corals, rhodochrosites and red jasper, among others.

It also represented post-pandemic lifestyle trends such as incorporating more living things into homes like plants, florals, living walls and restorative outdoor spaces, and newfound enjoyment in travel, sports and outdoor recreation. 

Designers embraced asymmetry, sculptural settings and mixed metals to highlight red-pink gems, creating statement pieces that celebrated courage and individuality. Viva Magenta’s high-energy aesthetic continues to influence bold, romantic collections.
 

 

Peach Fuzz (2024)

2024’s Peach Fuzz, meanwhile, is a warm shade that emanates compassion, kindness and unity, and subdued elegance. 

An appealing peach hue softly nestled between pink and orange, Peach Fuzz also presents a fresh approach to a new softness and evokes another level of design modernity, according to the institute. 

“At a time of turmoil in many aspects of our lives, our need for nurturing, empathy and compassion grows ever stronger as does our imaginings of a more peaceful future,” it added. “The colour we selected needed to be a colour whose warm and welcoming embrace conveyed a message of compassion and empathy.”

This peachy-orange glow found natural expression in rose gold, amber or melo pearls as well as beloved gemstones like Padparadscha and orange sapphire, morganite, fire opal, mandarin and spessartite garnet and peach moonstone, to name a few.

These luminous stones captured sunlight in every facet, often showcased in rose gold or paired with pink opal for a soft, romantic radiance. The trend reflected a post-pandemic optimism – pieces designed not just to adorn, but to uplift. 
 

Blushing Wing cocktail ring with a Padparadscha sapphire centre gem by
House of Gübelin
 

Mocha Mousse (2025) 

Mocha Mousse is described as an evocative soft brown, with a rich and comforting hue that alludes to the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, in response to the desire for comfort during turbulent times.

The shade's tastefully nurturing yet sophisticated aura translates effortlessly to brown diamonds, citrine, smoky quartz, brown sapphire, chalcedony and jasper – gems that exude richness without excess. 

Designers are weaving these gems into minimalist gold settings or pairing them with cream-colored pearls to evoke serenity and subtle glamour. The result is jewellery that feels both organic and indulgent, embodying a quiet luxury that suits modern sensibilities. 

Refined wooden accents likewise reinforce Mocha Mousse’s organic nature. Materials such as mother-of-pearl, enamel, ceramic and crystal can come in this colour as well, while rose gold and other precious metal variations offer a solid foundation too.  
 

Castaway bracelet in 18-karat rose gold with Tahitian pearls and diamond rice and beads by Gellner 

 

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