Picking up any fashion magazine these days and flipping through the pages, you will be bombarded by vibrant color in shoes, purses, clothing and accessories. Spring and summer is awakened in us by the sight of these vivid colors, often seen in items as single colors, combinations or as color-blockings.

These are the colors that we are seeing this season:
Vibrant medium tone Orange:
Spessartite Garnet, Citrine, Mexican Fire Opal, Sapphire
Daffodil or Lemon Yellow:
Sapphire, Citrine, Golden Beryl, Chrysoberyl
Vibrant Pinks:
Sapphire, Spinel, Tourmaline
Lime or Grass Green:
Tsavorite, Chrome Tourmaline, Emerald, Peridot, Tourmaline, Grossular Garnet
Rich Sky or Ocean Blues:
Aquamarine, Beryl, Sapphire, Zircon, Tourmaline, Blue Topaz

Crystal or Black Opals with their great play of color can also tie these shades together easily.
Many of these colors will work great on their own or when used complimentarily in pieces of jewelry.

Ethiopian Opals
Ethiopian Opals discovered in Wollo Province in 2008 have gained popularity due to the rich rainbow of colors and transparency they exhibit. Proven to be stable, resistant to crazing and remarkably durable, they exhibit an unusual property known as hydrophane, that is, these opals came out of the ground very porous, possessing the ability to absorb water very easily. The play of color in these opals is more of a broad-flash pattern, specific to this source.

For a more in-depth article on these materials, refer to the Gems & Gemology issue, Summer 2010. Karen Bandy Studio, Original Jewelry and Paintings. 25 NW Minnesota Ave Suite 5, 541-388-0155, karen@karenbandy.com, www.karenbandy.com.