The 2018 Color of the Year Was Actually Rainbow



With the arrival of 2019, we’ll be saying hello to Pantone’s Living Coral, and sayonara to 2018’s Ultra Violet, a color that, while it had me going there for a minute, I’m not sure I ever really warmed up to.

Luckily for me (and for others who aren’t really all that into purple), I didn’t have to. Because 2018 was really the most colorful year I’ve seen in a while.

Rainbow jewelry has been a pretty big deal for as long as I can remember, but for all its popularity, it was brighter and bolder this year, somehow. There was a bigger variety of rainbow jewels hitting the market, and we did a lot of sharing, writing about, and drooling over an assortment of fabulous multicolored designs this year.

Here’s a look back at the rainbow connections I made in 2018. May 2019 be just as colorful—if not more!

Arya Esha multicolor necklace
One-of-a-kind Kaos necklace in yellow gold with 21.25 cts. t.w. lemon quartz, 20.4 cts. t.w. amethysts, 20.35 cts. t.w. rainbow moonstone, 18.4 cts. t.w. sky blue topaz, 11.9 cts. t.w. lapis, 10.75 cts. t.w. prasiolite, 8.8 cts. t.w. rose de France, 8.75 cts. t.w. carnelian, 10.8 cts. t.w. citrine, 6.1 cts. t.w. tanzanite, 5.07 cts. t.w. labradorite, 3.85 cts. t.w. rose quartz, and 2.3 cts. t.w. guava quartz, price on request; Arya Esha
Eriness rainbow ring
Multicolor ring in 14k yellow gold with gemstones, $1,350; Eriness

Rainbow Jewelry: Because It’s Okay to Want Everything

Here, I somehow managed to compare the popular Everything seasoning blend from Trader Joe’s with rainbow jewelry. The results were far tastier than any bagel-inspired condiment—even one offered by everyone’s favorite grocery store.

Jane Taylor pastel bangle assortment
Assorted pastel bracelets, prices on request; Jane Taylor

Curate a Pastel Rainbow Showcase of Jewels for Spring

If one variation had to win out, I think the brighter variety—over the pastel—of rainbow would be the victor. But that didn’t stop the pastel rainbow from beautifying our spring. Here, a roundup of jewels that, although not containing the varied colors themselves, come together to create a pretty-in-pastels display.

Color Fix: The HotRocks collection by The Rock Hound

London-based The Rock Hound’s colorful HotRocks collection made its showing in the 2018 JCK Las Vegas’ Design Center neighborhood, and it was right on time for our brightest summer. This is another selection that creates the rainbow effect only when grouped together, but the beautiful photo styling done by the brand (pictured at top) makes you want to do nothing less.

Penny Preville Watercolor necklace
Watercolor collar necklace in 18k blackened gold with 9.3 cts. t.w. round sapphires, $11,465; Penny Preville

Collection Obsession: Watercolor by Penny Preville

More rainbows of the pastel variety, the jewelry from Preville’s Watercolor, inspired by paintings in the style of the collection’s name, ranged from warm and cool ombrés to full-on colorfests. It remains one of my favorite collections from 2018.

Facet Barcelona rainbow diamond friendship bracelet
Trends collection friendship bracelet in 14k rose gold with 0.05 ct. t.w. fancy treated diamonds, price on request; Facet Barcelona

Rainbow Britt’s Picks

I recently did a roundup of all of my Britt’s Picks from 2018, so you can find out all of the details here, but it’s worth noting that four of my selections were rainbowfied beauties: one each from Jane Taylor, Eriness, Colette, and Facet Barcelona.

Top: Wand pendants in recycled sterling silver and nano ceramic, £535 ($713) each and cluster pendants in recycled sterling silver and nano ceramic, £470 ($626) each; The Rock Hound

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JCK Contributing Editor

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