A Different Kind of Going Green: Emerald is Pantone's "Color of the Year"
Our name may be 66mint, but we're all about a different hue in 2013. It's the year of emerald, according to the trend watchers at Pantone, who named the lively, luxurious shade 2013's "Color of the Year." Vibrant emerald, showing up everywhere from the runway to the wedding aisle to the home goods department at Target, has become a darling of both the interior design and fashion industries. So it's no surprise that emerald's popularity has carried over to fine jewelry, uniquely suited to embrace this trend. While the emerald has been revered throughout history for its stunningly original, multifaceted beauty, Pantone's declaration has gently nudged the gemstone back into the limelight.
Rock of Ages
The emerald is no stranger to admiration. Cleopatra herself is one of history's most famous devotees of this intense stone; in fact, she laid claim to her own personal emerald mine in ancient Egypt. From the Russian crown jewels to India's Shah Jahan, the mesmerizing green gem has served as a centerpiece and personal favorite of history's most notorious power players. The ancient Greeks honored Aphrodite, goddess of beauty, love and fertility, by wearing emeralds; ancient Romans, meanwhile, associated the jewel with Venus, the goddess of love. The color green has long been believed to promote rebirth, healing and eternal youth; emeralds, too, have been associated with these rare, restorative powers.
From Liz Taylor to Beyonce
Celebrity style icons have also recently embraced high-impact emeralds at events and premieres. The signature glint and glisten of emerald jewelry has added unmistakable drama to the ensembles of countless emerald enthusiasts, including Blake Lively, Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon, Mila Kunis, Jessica Biel and others too many to list. Julianne Moore made a grand entrance to Bulgari's pre-Oscar party earlier this year, bedecked in one of the industry's most famous jewels: the breathtaking emerald and diamond necklace bestowed upon Elizabeth Taylor by then-husband Richard Burton during the shooting of Cleopatra in Italy. Taylor herself had worn the necklace--which sold for over $6 million at auction in 2011--to receive her 1967 Best Actress Oscar for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. And who could forget 2013's Presidential Inauguration, where Beyonce shone even brighter than usual during her performance of "The Star Spangled Banner," thanks to the help of over 130 carats of Lorraine Schwartz emerald jewelry valued at $2.5 million?
Going Going Green
So why not take a note from Pantone and embrace a different kind of "going green" this year by adding a piece or two of vintage emerald jewelry to your collection? Because while 2014's "Color of the Year" may turn out to be blaze orange, emerald's harmonious hue will never go out of style.
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