THE BLEND TREND (A.K.A. TONE-ON-TONE)

I'm not saying that the Italians invented it but, at the moment, they're obsessed with it--and it's bellissimo! When I was in Italy to view the new collections for 2010, jewelers kept showing me lines and using the word "blending." (At first, I had no idea what they were talking about--blending? All these years covering jewelry and I'd never heard that one before.) But then, my "aha" moment: Oh, you mean monochromatic color combinations? Yes, of course, I knew that. In fashion, we call it tone-on-tone: layering like colors for an overall easy-on-the-eyes effect. Got it, right, like pairing pink pants with a crimson camisole with a scarlet scarf. So blending in jewelry? They were talking about matching the various shades of precious gold metal to gemstones and enamels in a color family similar to the gold shade.

Now that that's settled, moving on. Why are they blending? Partially because they can. Never in recent history has there been such successful experimentation with the colors of gold, especially rose gold and blackened gold. And sometimes champagne (a kind of beigy shade). So, with gold no longer just yellow or white, there are more metal shades to match to stones and enamels. As a result, black pearls are set in blackened gold, pink sapphires in pink gold, yellow citrines in yellow gold, and so on. 

Personally, I like the look. It's pretty and, in this new economic reality, where we're spending money more carefully and buying jewelry we can wear with many different outfits instead of just one or two, it makes perfect sense. I mean, just look at this necklace from Utopia. It is blackened 18-karat gold with Tahitian black pearls (and white ones). (http://www.utopia-jewels.com/).
Sometimes the simplest idea can be the smartest. That's how I feel about jewelry's new blend trend. More later . . .