Like every year, as the Pantone colour experts predict the popular colour tones for the season as indicated by fashioned designers, this year, they say the liking is towards earthy tones, from true red and deep orange to vibrant blue. Some of the top 10 colours selected by designers included - "American Beauty," which is a balanced, true red; "Purple Heart," colour of jewel-tone purple; "Honey Yellow," a shade of warm sunny tone ,"Mimosa Yellow," Pantone's 2009 Colour of the Year; "Burnt Sienna," an earthy shade of orange; "Rapture Rose," a combination of fuchsia and pink; "Warm Olive," a rich yellow-green; and "Majolica Blue," a deep teal.

The choice of colours is hinting at the design psyche moving towards being more basic and honest - complimenting the current economic conditions yet incorporating the joy of colour to attract consumer attention. What this means for jewellery, is the huge entry of large gemstones in earth tones or rich deep colours. Basic colours selected by designers included "Creme Brulee," a grayish beige; "Iron," a shade between brown and gray and "Nomad," a shade in between beige and light gray. These shades are popular with the jewellery design palette. The basic colours allow for the jewellery designs to be trans-seasonal, allowing the customer to wear them across seasons, something which could entice purchase during economic slowdown.