Pantone 2018 Color of the Year - Ultra Violet
Posted by Erin Bullock on
Ultraviolet means "beyond violet" - violet is the highest frequency color of light, and ultraviolet is beyond that. Humans can not see UV light, but we are certainly well adapted to appreciate the strong purple that Pantone has chosen as the 2018 Color of the Year.
Purple has long been a color associated with royalty and the very wealthy, for good reason. The original purple dye was produced by a mollusk found only in the Tyre region of the Mediterranean Sea. Over 9,000 of the tiny shellfish were needed to produce one Tyrian gram of the dye. One Roman emperor refused to allow his wife to buy a shawl dyed with the famous dye because it was literally worth its weight in gold. Queen Elizabeth I forbade anyone but the royal family to wear purple during her reign.
Fortunately for the 21st century, purple is much more accessible and no longer only for the ultra wealthy. Even luckier for us, amethyst exists in all its stunning glory. The deep purple to light pinkish tones of this gorgeous form of quartz stun and amaze with its dark hearts and frothy edges. Amethyst was originally thought to ward of drunkeness (if only) and now serves as the birthstone for February babies - oh you lucky, lucky girls.
Explore my fantastic collection of amethyst jewelry - traditional styles with smaller jewels to modern freeform stones with rose cut tops to allow you to see into the heart of these amazing stones.