By Jo Varney
As we welcome in the New Year, we also welcome a new colour of the year for 2018, which happily for me is purple, or Ultra Violet to give it its official name. I say ‘happily’ for me as purple has been a constant presence in my life since my teenage years, and I daresay I am not alone in this. Purple has always been a colour which is just that little bit edgy; a choice for rock stars and artistic types who want to shun the mainstream, and show they are just a little bit different. Years ago I used to frequent a shop in Worcester, outside of which hung a multitude of tie-dye scarves and clothes (many of which were purple) that exuded the scent of joss ticks which could be smelt from 20 paces. For many people, this is what the colour purple is all about.
However, purple has moved on and become altogether more sophisticated. Forget the age old colour combinations of purple and black – think instead of purple teamed with a fresh spring green or a subtle dove grey, which instantly conjures an altogether classier look a world away from tie-dye and New Rock boots!
Amethyst Gemstone
The same can be said of jewellery. Don’t make the mistake of thinking purple stones means Amethyst and only Amethyst, as there are so many other choices out there. Don’t get me wrong, I love Amethyst but why not elevate it to another level by combining it with yellow gold and Peridot or Citrine to give it some zing? As a complete alternative you could opt for Tanzanite, Iolite, Kyanite or Sodalite each with its own distinct features. With Tanzanite and Kyanite you will get a beautiful inky violet colour coupled with strong Pleochroic qualities, meaning that the gem will appear a different colour when viewed from alternate directions. Conversely, if you opt for Sodalite you can enjoy the dense semi-transparent shades of deep blue/purple, often rippled with contrasting veins of white calcite to create a beautiful marbled affect.
Another interesting choice is Fluorite, which despite its fragility remains popular because of its fascinating colour range. It can form in a wide range of colours but the combination most often used in jewellery is purple fading into green, which is surprisingly subtle and beautiful. It can also be teamed with white quartz crystals, as the two can grow in conjunction with one another. These softer gemstones are better polished as beads or cut en cabochon due to their fragile composition, whereas harder stones like Amethyst and Tanzanite are at their best when facetted to show off their colour saturation and pleochroic qualities.
Fluorite Semi Precious Beads
I think it is clear that 2018 holds much opportunity in terms of colour for us jewellers. The strong choice of purple gemstones available will make it very easy to seamlessly tap into the main colour trend of the year. As the year progresses and Ultra Violet floods into clothing and interiors on the high street, I think I can safely say that consumers will be searching (subconsciously or otherwise) for purple accessories, so it’s time to get making with this in mind.
Will you be adding a touch of the colour purple to your handmade designs over the coming months? If you want a little more jewellery making inspiration for the colour of the year, head over to Cooksongold’s Pinterest page.
Cooksongold