Events & AwardsMay 22, 2026
Instore Buys JA New York ShowThe deal closed this week, which means Instore will produce the JA NY show slated to take place this fall.
TrendsFeb 11, 2016
Pantone Names the 10 Colors Expected to Rule Fall
From calming blues to earthy tones and pops of vibrancy, fall’s predicted palette trends toward gender neutrality.
Pantone’s Fashion Color Report for fall 2016 takes a “unilateral approach to color and trend(s) toward gender neutrality,” it said.
New York--The colors that are expected to be popping up prominently in fashion designers’ collections this fall are here.
On Thursday, the Pantone Color Institute released its latest Fashion Color Report, a semi-annual predictive palette that comes out in the midst of New York Fashion Week, when Pantone takes a comprehensive look at the hues most commonly spotted on the runway.
The shades Pantone said will be in for fall 2016 are: Riverside, Airy Blue, Sharkskin, Aurora Red, Warm Taupe, Dusty Cedar, Lush Meadow, Spicy Mustard, Potter’s Clay and Bodacious.
Six of the colors--Riverside, Airy Blue, Sharkskin, Lush Meadow, Spicy Mustard and Bodacious--are new hues, introduced to the Pantone Fashion, Home and Interiors Color System last year.
The blue family, which conveys a message of calm and constancy, leads the 10-color palette.
“The idea of comforting blues coming to the top of the list again shows that people are still searching for that reassurance,” Pantone Color Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman said. “The color blue is fundamentally important to the human eye as a stable icon of the balance in our universe. Even in an uncertain world … we remember that the blue skies represent constancy; they have never fallen.”
There also are earth tones and some pops of vibrant colors in the report, making for a scheme that is “playful but structured departures from the more typical fall shades.”
“The grays give a feeling of stability and represent rock solid colors that you can go back to and use with everything in your wardrobe,” Eiseman said. “The red tones invite confidence and warmth while the hot pinkish-purples and spicy mustard yellows suggest a touch of the exotic, rounding out a palette that is stable and grounded but also bold and complex.”
A hearty, grounded and approachable neutral, Warm Taupe also pairs well with each of the top 10 shades in the fall report.
A nod to the other half of Pantone’s Colors of the Year for 2016, Airy Blue “evokes a feeling of weightlessness,” Pantone said.
Aurora Red, a bold yet warm and sensual color that also was included in Pantone’s Fashion Color Report Fall 2014.
Bodacious speaks to the gender fluidity of designers’ use of color because it’s able to be paired with the pink and reds in the palette just as easily as it goes with Spicy Mustard or Potter’s Clay.
Dusty Cedar is a dustier rose-toned pink with some complexity that nods to one of the Colors of the Year for 2016, Rose Quartz.
Rich, elegant, vibrant and sophisticated, Lush Meadow displays a brightness, panache and depth of color that elevates the overall elegance seen in the fall runway collections.
A warm, orange-toned shade, Potter’s Clay has an added degree of sophistication and inherent layering.
Riverside, a cool and calming hue with subtle sophistication
Sharkskin serves as a neutral with an edge, able to be paired with almost any fall color, bright or muted.
Spicy Mustard is an “unexpected and unusual but welcome addition” to the fall palette, Pantone said.
More on Trends
The Latest
FinancialsMay 22, 2026
Richemont’s Jewelry Brands Lead the Charge in Q4The company’s jewelry sales were up in Q4 and the fiscal year, with Richemont raising prices in part because of the cost of gold.
CollectionsMay 22, 2026
Leigh Maxwell Celebrates 5 Years at Couture With ‘Bauble’ CollectionThe “Bauble” capsule collection of colorful one-of-a-kinds includes our Piece of the Week, the “Bauble” earrings, featuring rose zircon.
Brought to you by
All Eyes on Gold Prices. Alternatives to Look For. And What to BEWARE of in VegasAs gold prices rise, today’s retailers are looking for alternatives at prices that will appeal to wider audiences.
MajorsMay 22, 2026
Stuller’s New Packaging, Display Catalog Is Out The updated catalog has a newly dedicated section for gift wrapping.
Weekly QuizMay 21, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
PodcastsMay 21, 2026
Episode 5: Sotheby’s Frank Everett Puts the Auction Market in PerspectiveEverett covers colored stones’ surging popularity, the mellow return of the “Mellon Blue,” and his “The Devil Wears Prada” doppelgänger.
IndependentsMay 21, 2026
Springer’s Jewelers’ New Flagship Will Serve Next-Gen Luxury ShoppersFourth-generation CEO Lilly Mullen wants to emphasize experience, connection, and personalized service.
Brought to you by
How Modern Training Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage for Jewelry RetailersWith the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.
Events & AwardsMay 21, 2026
JA Announces Nina Pugliese Memorial ScholarshipThe new award, created in partnership with Henne Jewelers, honors the late designer’s legacy through supporting jewelry education.
SourcingMay 21, 2026
Botswana, Angola Join WFDBThe addition of the diamond-producing countries as nation affiliated members broadens the federation’s global representation, WFDB said.
CrimeMay 20, 2026
NYPD Warns of Jewelry Swap Scams Targeting SeniorsThe NYPD is warning elderly New Yorkers to keep their jewelry hidden when walking outside to avoid being a target.
IndependentsMay 20, 2026
Adornment & Theory’s New Store Feels Like Home Designer Viviana Langhoff has realized her dream of owning a space for her Chicago jewelry store that looks and feels like her brand.
Events & AwardsMay 20, 2026
Here Is Couture’s 2026 Education Lineup The sessions will run from Friday, May 29, to Sunday, May 31, with one being a live taping of an episode of Couture’s podcast.
Lab-GrownMay 20, 2026
Savannah Friedkin Jewelry Names New CEOFormer Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry executive Morgan P. Richardson is joining the lab-grown diamond jewelry brand.
WatchesMay 19, 2026
Here’s the AP x Swatch Pocket Watch That Caused PandemoniumThe $400 pocket watch is a blend of Audemars Piguet’s iconic eight-sided Royal Oak and Swatch’s unserious Pop watches from the ‘80s.
CollectionsMay 19, 2026
Chris Ploof’s New Collection Makes an Ancient Metal ModernWith gold prices on the rise, the “Modern Electrum” collection uses an alternative, non-tarnishing metal alloy composed of gold and silver.
IndependentsMay 19, 2026
Ellen and Michael Fruchtman Retire, Sell Marketing Agency Fruchtman Marketing has new owners, Erin Moyer-Carballea and Manuel Carballea, and will relocate to Miami.
ColumnistsMay 19, 2026
Peter Smith: The (Mostly) Immutable Sales TruthsIn a column for the 2026 State of the Majors issue, Smith lists 10 time-tested principles about sales that still ring true.
ColumnistsMay 18, 2026
Edahn Golan: What a K-Shaped Economy Means for Fine JewelryIn a column for the 2026 State of the Majors issue, Golan spells out how the growing economic divide in the U.S. is reshaping the market.
CollectionsMay 18, 2026
Foundrae’s New Collection Taps Into JoyThe “Limitless Expansion of Joy and Hope” collection evokes summer through colored gemstones and motifs of butterflies and florals.
CollectionsMay 18, 2026
Hancocks London Acquires Historic ‘Inchiquin’ EmeraldThe jewel, circa 1890, is from the late Victorian era and was owned by descendants of the last high king of Ireland.
Events & AwardsMay 18, 2026
Here Are the 2026 JCK Industry Fund Grant Recipients This is what the nine recipients plan to do with the funds.
AuctionsMay 15, 2026
American Collector Ponies Up Almost $17K for John Wayne’s RingThe Western star’s 14-karat gold signet ring sold for six times its low estimate following a bidding war at U.K. auction house Elmwood’s.
Events & AwardsMay 15, 2026
JA, MJSA To Sponsor Roundtable at TJSThe discussion, "Rebuilding the Jewelry Workforce," will take place on Saturday, May 16, in Troy, Michigan.
SourcingMay 15, 2026
State of Diamonds: The Way Forward for Natural DiamondsThe jewelry industry is reassessing its positioning as Gen Z reshapes the retail landscape and lab grown continues to gain market share.
AuctionsMay 14, 2026
White Diamonds Lead Sotheby’s Auction, Blue Diamond Does Not SellA matching pair of 18.38-carat, D-color diamonds from Botswana’s Jwaneng mine sold for $3.3 million, the top lot of the jewelry auction.
Supplier BulletinMay 14, 2026
A Diamond Is Forever Continues Desert Diamonds – Bridal ReinvigoratedSponsored by A Diamond Is Forever
