BeadStyle : color

10 colors for Fall 2009

Naomi Fujimoto — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:10:00 GMT

The Bead&Button Show starts next week, so I've been mulling over what to put on my shopping list. I'd like to try a new combination of colors, so I visited Pantone's site for their Fashion Color Report. After New York Fashion Week in February, they identified 10 colors for their fall palette. A few of the choices have obvious jewelry counterparts, but some are more challenging:

1. American Beauty: dark red coral crystal, ruby (look for a more red, less pink shade)

2. Purple Heart: amethyst, charoite, cubic zirconia, flower sugilite; ametrine would also work (it has prominent honey yellow shades)

3. Honey Yellow: amber, mookite (especially if it also has shades of burnt sienna or rose)

4. Burnt Sienna: carnelian (Pantone's shade isn't as brown as the crayon color I remember), goldstone, hessonite (in a gradated strand with honey yellow pieces, too?), red magma crystal

5. Iron: hematite, jet nut crystal, pearls in dark gray or deep brown; gunmetal filigree [scroll down], chain, and other findings

6. Rapture Rose: rhodochrosite, pink topaz, or rose crystal

7. Nomad: bronze pearls, shell

8. Warm Olive: olive jade, peridot, serpentine

9. Majolica Blue: Montana crystal, kyanite, recycled glass, sapphire

10. Creme Brulee: African opal, bone beads, sand opal crystal

When I look at all of the colors together, I visualize ceramic beads more so than gemstones or crystals; the shades remind me of the glazes on beads — pretty but not too saturated. I suppose your bead choices will depend on how prominent you want each color to be, too — and whether you want the look to be sparkly, organic, modern, vintage-y, etc. I think I'll bring the first page of the report with me to the Show. But let me know if you have other ideas about the fall palette!

Color trends

Naomi Fujimoto — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:58:00 GMT

Next weekend, I'll be in New York at the JA New York show, looking at finished jewelry (and some beads) from hundreds of vendors. In the meantime, I've been searching different sites for color trends. (I started thinking about color again after reading Stacy's blog post about colors.)

Here are a few jewelry supply sites that also feature helpful color ideas and information:

• Auntie's Beads: This month, they highlight "vintage romance" in reds and pinks.

• Fire Mountain: They post seasonal color trends and archive previous articles.

• Fusion Beads: Every month, they post new inspiration pieces (I esp. loved their December ornaments).

• Lima Beads: They have a Fresh Picks section where you can group your favorite beads and colors (as well as leave comments on others' picks).

• Beadin Path: They sell vintage Lucite bead mixes. I just ordered Neopolitan.

And, in other news, what do you think of Pantone's color of the year?

I have to admit that it's gorgeous, but no immediate design possibilities come to mind. Maybe that should be my design challenge this year: working with unfamiliar palettes. Let us know what you're up to, color-wise.

Green with peace

Stacy Hillmer — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:03:00 GMT

Purple is the color of the coming season (I recommend Jewelry Insider’s blog for more information on this trend), but might economic challenges cater to the color green? A story by The Clanton Advertiser suggests that green will get you past any financial blues that have cropped up with our current economy.

The color green, according to the article, promotes love, peace, and patience. It’s also associated with nature and health (check out the shelves of your grocery store – products intended to make you think they’re healthy or will help you lose weight are often packaged in green). Green wreaths (or perhaps house plants, now that the holidays are over), pillows, candles, and table cloths will help you and your loved ones relax about money matters. Green jewelry, such as the necklace at left, will allow you to take that calm with you wherever you go. It’s a curious, counterintuitive concept, seeing how dollar bills are also green!

Other colors are associated with feelings you might want to instill this year. From the article:

Red – Excites and energizes
Orange – Inspires play and spontaneity
Yellow – Commands confidence
Blue – Clears the mind and is thought provoking
Indigo – Inspires insight
Violet – Quiets and deepens inner peace

How have you used color in jewelry to promote positive changes? Above: Naomi Fujimoto's peridot necklace (August 2008, Birthstones)

Resources for color inspiration

Naomi Fujimoto — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:28:00 GMT

In a fit of desk-cleaning, I picked up our copy of Elaine Ryan's Color Your Life. The book has exercises like collecting magazine clippings and thinking about colors in your favorite outfit or that you associate with happy times. There's also a chapter on how to design your bedroom (something I wish I had read before redesigning my bedroom), with space for notes about furniture, window treatments, lighting, carpet, etc.

Another handy thing: tear-out color bars. Each of the colors is numbered, and you can mix any of the evens together. Or any of the odds, but just not even and odd.

All in all, it's a useful reference book with beautiful photos.

I also like Domino's slide show of paint palettes. They show more pastel combinations than jewel tones, but their choices are worth checking out. My favorite: the poppy and pale pink combo with yellow as an accent. Now I want to make a necklace with poppy-colored CZs and rose quartz. But, what to use for the bright yellow?

What about your own color inspirations: do you have a favorite book, website, or tip to share?