Pantone’s 2017 Color of the Year is Greenery

New York--Spinel might have stolen the spotlight when it joined peridot as an August birthstone this year, but the green-hued gem is exacting its revenge heading into 2017.

Pantone has dubbed Greenery the color of the year for next year.

The shade has warm undertones, reminiscent of lush, spring foliage, Pantone said. Peridot has a similar tone and is a natural match for the trend.

The color institute’s selection process for the color of the year isn’t limited to the gamut of hues found in design; instead, the chosen color often symbolizes an emotional tone.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, explained, “While Serenity and Rose Quartz, the Pantone Colors of the Year 2016, expressed the need for harmony in a chaotic world, Greenery bursts forth in 2017 to provide us with the hope we collectively yearn for amid a complex social and political landscape. Satisfying our growing desire to rejuvenate, revitalize and unite, Greenery symbolizes the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose.”



After more than a year of abundant presidential election coverage, culminating in a contentious result, it’s perhaps, natural, that the political and social mood of the country could affect not only business, but design.

“In light of today’s political climate, we all need some hope and to focus on what’s beautiful in our day to day,” said designer Ariel Gordon of Ariel Gordon Jewelry.

“What’s more beautiful than some real gold that is handcrafted and set with peridot or emerald?” she pondered. “If a piece of jewelry can bring light and happiness to someone, that is all I can hope for.”

Shahla Karimi, the designer of her namesake fine jewelry brand, which boasts a popular core birthstone collection, also feels that peridot embodies Greenery, both visually and emotionally.

“Peridot is the ideal representation of Greenery, and the perfect stone for 2017. Peridot is worn to calm anger and alleviate emotional burden; it will also increase the wearer’s health, wealth, happiness and love.”

Pantone also noted the prevalence of the shade in the tech sphere, citing digital start-ups and apps as often incorporating the color into their appearance because of Greenery’s boldness and symbolism of growth and rebirth. The company also remarked on Greenery as a color of note for wearables.

Eiseman continued, “The tangy yellow-green speaks to our desire to express, explore, experiment and reinvent, imparting a sense of buoyancy. Through