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Every year, the Pantone Color Institute chooses a “color of the year” that represents the current cultural and design trends. The color chosen is meant to inspire and influence designs in virtually every aspect of the human experience, starting at beauty, fashion, home industries and more. 

In this article, we are exploring:

1. The Pantone color of the year 2023
2. Viva Magenta Vs Colors of 2022 and 2021
3. Gemstones in Viva Magenta
4. Colors Complimentary to Viva Magenta

THE PANTONE COLOR OF 2023:

Recently, the Pantone institute declared the color (PANTONE 18-1750) Viva Magenta as its color of the year for 2023. This is a  surprising drift from the more somber and pastel inspired tones of the last few years. Why? Well, primarily the Viva Magenta is a stunningly bright and electrifying color with a characteristic depth that signifies passion, creativity, and energy. The color also symbolizes a sense of individuality and confidence. 

The director of the Pantone Institute, Laeatrice Eiseman explains that this color was particularly chosen to draw inspiration from nature in a world that is currently submerged, rather, obsessed with technology. Eiseman further claims that this vibrant color was thought of as a reconnection to our primordial roots and raw matter. 

Often used as a statement color in the fashion industry, this striking color is used particularly to invoke excitement and make a bold impact. As most trends are heavily influenced by the color chosen for a particular year, we expect Magenta colored gemstones to be in high demand this season. We have put together a list of Magenta colored stones you can choose from below. Read on to know more about them. 

Viva Magenta vs Colors of 2022 and 2021

Before we explore the gemstone options in magenta, let us quickly understand how this year’s ‘color of the year’ is an unexpected, out of the ordinary choice compared to the colors from the past two years. 

Dubbed as “an unconventional shade for an unconventional time” by Pantone, Viva Magenta is quite unlike the color tones selected to represent the previous two years. While the colors of 2021 and 22 are relatively soft and subdued, this year’s color is bright, bold and electric. The colors for 2021 and 2022 were a representation of the transition we were going through as we came out of isolation to rebuild our lives. This year’s color, on the other hand, is a depiction of us going all out with a re-invigorated spirit. Its bold, flashy hue is meant to inspire us to draw energy from nature and ignite passion. 

An extension of Viva Magenta and the new-found vigor it is meant to deliver is expected to be seen in the gemstone industry as well. On the basis of past trends, we anticipate Magenta colored gemstones to be one of the most sought-after colored gemstones for this year. In the years 2021 and 2022, there was a heavy inclination towards yellow and violet colored stones, which were the colors of the year for these two years. 

Color of the Year	Trending Gemstones
2022 Veri Peri
2021 Ultimate Grey and Illuminating

Gemstones in Viva Magenta

RUBIES:

No marks for guessing why rubies are first on the list! While rubies are synonymous with most red gemstones, red rubies with a purplish undertone are what we are looking for with respect to the viva magenta shade. The red of ruby is the fire, while the purplish undertone cools down the hue, adding a certain depth to it. 

We have been one of the foremost ruby wholesalers in the world since the last 3 decades, sourcing directly from multiple sources around the world like Burma, Mozambique and more. We process them in our own factory in Thailand, ensuring the strictest standards in gemstone quality and precise sizes as per your order.

SAPPHIRES:

Sapphires have always stood out for their rainbow range of colours and it goes without saying that, multiple hues of sapphires fit into the Viva Magenta shade grade. Let us discuss a few of the many possibilities with shades approximating Viva Magenta in sapphires.

Blue-Purple Sapphires

While this might be an unexpected addition to this list, hear us out. One of the stand out features of the Viva Magenta gemstones is the cool undertone of blue or purple, that tone down the fieriness of the red. Blue-Purple Sapphires or “Blurple sapphires” as we lovingly call them, exhibit this exact characteristic, earning them a spot on this list.

Pink Sapphires

Delicate, feminine and vibrant, Pink Sapphires are exceedingly popular. They have been one of the most sought-after colored gemstones for engagement rings and rank quite high in wedding trends. The magenta variant is often quite intense and highly saturated and is popularly known as The Fuschia Pink Sapphire in the trade. 

Pink sapphires are often quite indifferentiable from Rubies, which are also a variety of corundum like sapphires. Although rubies are typically associated with the color red, they are also seen in purple or magenta color tones. The pink hue may occur in varying intensities; the more the color intensity, higher its value. These are mainly found in Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

Both Sapphires and rubies are robust choices as colored engagement rings. But, which one should you pick? Learn how to choose between the big 3 gemstones for your big day.

Padparadscha

Padparadscha sapphires, a rare variety of corundum mineral, can also be found in light magenta tones. The pink hue in these gemstones is attributed to the presence of chromium and iron. These gems are extremely rare and are highly valuable. Although they are mined in Sri Lanka mainly, most of their pink-purple varieties are seen in Madagascar. 

At NGM, we house one of the most expansive sapphire collections in the world. From Blurple sapphires to teal sapphires, blue sapphires to pink sapphires, yellow sapphires to green sapphires, we hand pick from proven sustainable sources and ensure the highest quality for our customers.

SPINELS

Another gemstone that comes in the deep hue of magenta is Spinel. Purple Spinels are becoming increasingly popular due to their wide range of unique colors. They occur in the purple color spectrum of violet, magenta and reddish purple wine hues. There are both light pastels and deep saturated varieties in these gems. These gems are extensively mined in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Tajikistan. Purple Spinels have a hardness of 8 in the Moh’s scale and they can be faceted in the majority of the standard cuts, making them a popular choice in jewelry pieces. 

Magenta colores spinels have a long history of being mistaken for rubies. In afct some of the most famous gemstones in the world are actually spinels and were once mistaken to be high quality rubies. Today there are modern methods to differentiate between spinels, sapphires and rubies but it is interesting to note how spinels have been nicknamed the “imposter gemstone”.

Magenta Tourmaline – Rubellite

A popular magenta colored gemstone is the rubellite, which is a variety of tourmaline known as elbaite tourmaline. These stones occur in the color ranges of dark pink to reddish pink and occur in medium to dark tones. Most of these gems are highly saturated and vibrant. 

Rubellites are made up of a base mineral compound of Lithium, Aluminium and Silicone with varying inclusions. The pink color in these gemstones is due to the presence of Manganese. Inclusions are highly common in rubellites and they may affect their clarity or transparency. The presence of certain needle-like inclusions may give rise to gems known as cat’s eye gems, which are rare and highly priced. 

These gems have an inherent hardness of 7 to 7.5 which makes them quite durable and suitable for daily wear. They are also versatile in any cut and can be faceted or cabbed to create a wide range of jewelry designs. Some of the notable sources of these gems include Afghanistan, Brazil, Madagascar, Myanmar and the United States. Out of these sources, many of the high quality, cleaner gems are recently being seen from the roughs obtained from Africa. The Brazilian yield is more purple compared to the ones obtained from the other sources. 

Rhodolite Garnet – Umbalites

A gemstone that is well-known for its vibrant magenta color is Rhodolite garnet or Umbalites. Rhodolites are essentially garnets which are composed of one part almandine and two parts pyrope. However, most of these gems also contain small parts of other garnets like grossular and spessartite. In fact, the concentration of spessartite determines the color of the rhodolite; higher spessartite content makes the rhodolite lighter. 

                                                                             Garnet Color Chart

Rhodolite garnets are highly prized for their color and durability. Their color tones can range from purplish red to almost pure purple. They generally have high clarity with minimal inclusions and can exhibit color changes with varying lighting conditions. 

                                                                        Rhodolite Garnet -Umbalite

Although these gems are found all over the world, the most sought after ones come from Africa. Other sources include Brazil, Sri Lanka and North Carolina in the US. Star rhodolite is one such gem that is known for its unique star stone effect or asterism. These are mined in East Africa. Certain rhodolites from the North Pare Mountains of Tanzania exhibit color changes from blue to purple tones in daylight and incandescent light respectively. 

These gems are known for their durability and hardness. This makes them quite versatile in jewelry designs. Some of the popular cuts include oval, round and pear cut. 

Complementary colors

As part of its “Magentaverse”, Pantone has a color palette with varying color tones that range from shades of grey to blue and violet. You can also consider these shades while choosing a gemstone this season as there are plenty of gemstones that occur in these complementary hues of magenta. Some of them include stones like sapphires, spinels and padparadscha, which come in lighter, pastel tones of lilac and pink. 

Conclusion

As we bounce back from the aftermath of the pandemic and the uncertainty that came with it, taking inspiration from nature may be the way to go – which is why Viva Magenta makes perfect sense as the color of the year. It is a perfect representation of our primordial roots and new-found spirit. Always associated with passion, positive energy and creativity, this color is definitely a great addition to any jewelry collection. And there are plenty of options to choose from – Rhodolite Garnets, Rubellites, Spinels, Pink Sapphires, Rubies, just to name a few. So if you’re looking to invest in gemstones this season, it’s time to dive into the magentaverse.