Warm Up to Cocoa-Colored Gems
According to experts at GIA (Gemological Institute of America), gemstones with warm, brown tones are heating up. And many of the world’s most influential designers in couture apparel and jewelry have built fashion menus around shades of brown – from the most delicate caramels and mochas to the darkest chocolates and coffees.
For the ultimate in russet glamour, think diamonds. Brown diamonds. A lightly tinted brown diamond, often marketed as a “champagne” diamond, or a darker “cognac” diamond, can accentuate a warm-toned wardrobe. The Institute, which grades many of the world’s diamonds, advises to always ask for a GIA Diamond Grading Report whenever purchasing a diamond.
Other brown and golden-colored gems that can heat up your wardrobe include sunstone, andalusite, citrine, tiger’s-eye, and amber. Fire opal is also a hot new front-runner in jewelry designs. Smoky quartz is sizzling too. Bold rings and pendants made of rough-cut crystals of rutilated quartz with gold and black needle-like inclusions remain popular.
Bronze-colored pearls can’t be left out either. From large Tahitians to fancy-shaped freshwaters, natural- and treated-color pearls come in a range of hues that complement sophisticated fall gem fashions.
The key to wearing the new browns in jewelry is to go for contrast: cognac diamonds juxtaposed with colorless diamonds; bronze pearls alternating with white pearls; and tiger’s-eye set in silver, just to name a few possibilities.
Other gems can create the same look, according to GIA’s gem mavens. Cat’s-eye, topaz, and brown zircon, and agate, even lesser-known gems like chrysoberyl and dravite, all provide the brownish shades favored by some designers.
