TPC Members Talk Pantone’s Spring/Summer 2023 Color Predictions

We know you’re in the thick of the holiday rush, but many Plumb Club members are already thinking ahead to Spring/Summer 2023 fashion trends and palettes.

The Pantone Color Institute tends to be the jewelry industry’s gold standard when it comes to color forecasting and it’s already pinpointed the hues that will be the most visible, desirable and in-demand. In fact, they did so way back in September, during New York Fashion Week.

Chic Pistachio

Blending escapism with reality, wholesomeness, and joy, we embrace the exploration of extreme contrast in mood and color,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute in a press release at the time. “There is utility and basic-ness to this season’s color story, while at the same time, there is an uplifting vital sense of play that comes through.”

That largely translates to bright, electric hues—juicy citrus shades and tropical greens top the list. Beetroot Purple (Pantone-18-2143 TCX) is “an emboldened fuchsia hue depicting the fruits of nature” according to Pantone and its projected popularity aligns with some Plumb Club members’ product lines. The industry has been talking about an overarching hot pink moment since JCK Las Vegas.

Chic Pistachio

“I’m personally loving this new pink trend,” says Valerie Fletcher, vice president of design and product development at ODI. “It does have a little throwback to the neon/punk pink, but without being too retro. It feels contemporary and couture. It’s definitely not your mother’s poodle-skirt pink. And it’s not feminine—it’s a gender-non-conforming power pink.

Unfortunately, I can’t pull off a whole Barbie Pink ensemble, but some rose gold and pink enamel stack bands? Yes, please!”

Original Designs / ODI

Original Designs / ODI launched Polar Pink at JCK Las Vegas, a line of fashion jewelry made with Greenlandic pink sapphires (a follow up to the brand’s successful Lovefire collection of Greenlandic rubies). “We did some test stores throughout this year, and the sell-through of Polar Pink was better than the rubies,” adds Fletcher. “The price point is much lower than the rubies, and we are doing more trendy, contemporary looks, so it reaches a whole different audience. And it’s still the same story of caring for the environment and giving back to the community around the mine.” Other pinks on the SS23 lineup are Peach Pink (Pantone 15-1530) and Crystal Rose (Pantone 12-1708).

The Pantone spring forecast also pointed to a handful of soothing blues, blue-gray, and something called Skylight (Pantone-12-4604) that is a “pure and watery cleansing aqua” according to Pantone.

Ostbye

“Pantone color palettes always inspire me,” says Theresa Namie, merchandise manager at Ostbye. “The blue palettes have been so popular in wedding colors, including “Bridgerton Blue” and has me thinking white gold and aquamarine. I used these colors for this year’s bridal book because of the popularity. Most of our birthstone stackable ring would fit in nicely with the coloring and can tell their own story as well.”

At Brevani, a division of Color Merchants, “What I’m finding interesting about the 2023 palette is that there isn’t a shade of purple within the forecast and amethyst happens to consistently be our number-two best-selling color, with number-one being blue topaz,” says the company’s creative director, Allison Peck.

Brevani / Color Merchants

Meanwhile, she and other Plumb Club members are naturally “fired up” by Pantone’s Fiery Red (Pantone 18-1664) from the Spring/Summer 2023 lineup. “I see that translating to ruby and in the past few months I’ve absolutely seen an increase in our ruby jewelry sales,” adds Peck.

“Historically, blue sapphire has always been our best-selling stone within the precious category but recently ruby has been on the rise. Why? I’m not 100% certain, but personally I think it’s due to yellow gold being so popular. Ruby looks extremely rich and bold set in yellow, while blue sapphire has always sold better in white gold.”