One of the most frequent conversations I have with customers is about the beautiful colour in the jewellery.

Personally, I love colour, and from the turquoises, limes and pinks of the spring and summer to the reds, purples and cobalts of winter, there is something uplifting about adding vibrant hues to what we wear.

What can colour do?

A neutral outfit can be transformed with a colourful piece of jewellery, and enables it to look so much more finished, and interesting, when accessorised well.

Colour need not be restricted to just jazzing up a neutral look either: fuchsia jewellery looks fabulous when worn with orange, and turquoise jewellery with jade green or magenta.

Recently we have seen many ‘colour blocked’ outfits in magazines which look amazing – most colours can be worn with most colours – it’s just a case of having a go and seeing what works for you.

The origin of the yearly colour trends for fashion and interior design is interesting!

There is a committee of 10 people (whose names are secret), including representatives from the car industry, interiors, the fashion industry and stores, which meets in Europe at the invitation of Pantone twice a year. Pantone is an American company whose sole business is colour and is led by Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman.

The meeting is run by publisher and designer David Shah and is set in a room with white walls to enable the objects brought for inspiration to be seen clearly. Who knew!

Here they discuss and decide what the colour trends and influences for the forthcoming year are going to be. They also decide on the ‘Colour of the Year’ too, which for 2015 was Marsala, and for 2016 – there are two – Rose Quartz and Serenity Blue.

Read more about the selection process here.

So, having seen ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, the conversation between Meryl Streep and Ann Hathaway about her ‘Cerulean’ blue jumper is a bit more understandable… but still as funny!

If you want to know more about Pantone and seasonal colours have a look at their 2016 forecast.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading a little about ‘where the colours come from’ and who decides what will be in the shops next season. Of course we are all able to choose exactly what we want to wear, but sometimes it’s nice to have a fresh take on a colour that has been around for a while. And, it’s fun!