Blue and green are, as is often the case, shaping up to be hot colors for summer, but there’s an unexpected hue that’s entered the mix—orange.
More specifically, a sort of neon-pastel mishmash that seems to quench insight. It’s soft but bright, electric but not obnoxiously fluorescent. Not much for orange, I’ve purchased no fewer than three articles of clothing in the shade for our summer vacation. Though each was given a different name—peach, melon, and tangerine—they all shared that sort of soft, creamy, joyful quality that made the clothing irresistible to someone who most often gravitates toward cool colors. It’s a very strange color that feels hard to pinpoint exactly, despite the fact that many fashion retailers seem to have taken note of the precise shade.
It’s so good it wouldn’t be surprising to just want more of it, head-to-toe monochrome style—that means jewelry too. So I started to wonder about what that would look like in jewelry. Enamel could certainly replicate the color, but what about gemstones? A padparadscha that leans more orange than pink might be the perfect example, but there are others capable of playing the matching game too. Some citrine, garnet, and tourmaline would work quite nicely. Coral, in some cases, also has that deliciously sweet orange hue. There’s fire opal, which has that neon look, though if you’re aiming for this exact shade you’re looking for one on the softer side, as the stone is beautifully bold.
It’s positively satisfying to be in the presence of such a buoyant color, which contrasts so beautifully with the always-demanded shades of the sea and sky and also pairs wonderfully with them—much like a sunset.
Top: Orange You in Love earrings in 14k yellow gold with coral, spessartite garnet, and diamonds, $3,180; Cristina Santos
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
