Each year Pantone releases a colour that is meant to embody the spirit of the year.  The colour for 2020 is Classic Blue (19-4052), which is a great match for iolite, lapis lazuli and sapphire.  The richness of these colours makes them great for statement jewellery and perfect for wearing in the summer when the deep blue evokes the ocean and the sky at sunset where that opulent blue tone is accompanied by a riot of other colours.

 

Our Arabian Nights earrings use cabochon cut lapis lazuli set in a sleek sterling silver mount.  These studs might not look extravagant in style, but it's the beauty of the stone that makes the impact here.  Paired with office wear these are perfect for adding a touch of understated glamour to your business attire, but worn with an evening gown they're equally stunning for a deluxe look.  Our Star Catcher necklace, also with a cabochon lapis, is the perfect partner for the earrings, adding a playful note with the asymmetric sterling silver mount.  Lapis lazuli is a very desirable stone, and has been revered for thousands of years since its discovery, even being the natural source for blue paint before synthetic pigments were developed.  The high cost of the material, especially for a pigment, meant it was associated with wealth and opulence right from the very beginning.

 

Iolite is a gorgeous stone with rich blue tones bordering on violet in some lights.  If you like the Arabian Nights earrings, but you want a stone with more shine and glisten than lapis, the iolite Orbit earrings are for you.  The rub over mount adds a modern twist to the simple stud earring, allowing the light to bounce around within the stone, so whatever angle you see these earrings at they will shine out boldly.  Our Summer Shade hoop earrings also use iolite for an accent within the playful, bubble shaped hoops.  These earrings are ideal for wearing to meet friends or for when you want to add a little lightness to an outfit.  The Cross my Heart ring uses iolite to add a rich accent to the other, paler blue topaz stones.  Worn with the Summer Shade earrings to complement the iolite in those, these two pieces make a great pair for your summer wardrobe.

 

For a paler hue of Classic Blue, tanzanite is the go-to stone.  This sparkly stone features in our Cool Blue collection, a three-piece set of earrings, ring and necklace which use the classic cluster style as a design point.  A subtler nod to the colour can be found in the Stellar earrings, which take the cluster style further into a star inspired design.  These earrings would work perfectly as a larger alternative to the Cool Blue earrings to be worn with the rest of the set.  Finally, our Tantalise hoop earrings and ring use tanzanite and cubic zirconia, sprinkled across multiple bands of sterling silver for a modern look that will pair beautifully with the Fantasia Mix bangle.

 

Sapphires come in a variety of shades of blue, from the very rich to a more delicate blue tone closer to topaz in colour.  Our new Apollo necklace features a deep blue sapphire, set in a sterling silver mount with cubic zirconia set into the mount.  This piece draws on the classic cluster style and oval shape but by turning that oval lengthways there is a modern, playful touch, which embodies free spirited youth and experimentation.  It is also similar to the style of Princess Diana's engagement ring, which the Duchess of Cambridge now wears.  This is a necklace that makes a great gift for anyone born in September (sapphire is their birthstone), as it will age beautifully with the wearer.  Truly an ageless, timeless piece the Apollo necklace is set to be a popular design.

 

This is the year for blue lovers to celebrate their favourite colour and invest in some timeless jewellery that will stay fashionable even when the Pantone colour of 2021 is announced.