Every jewellery designer is talking about it! Pantone announced what they deem to be the “it” colour of the year, and it wasn’t what anyone was expecting.

The Pantone colour of the year has long been a mood giver for the following year. Some adhere to it religiously to create trends, designs, and please the public.

Pantone has been deciding the colour of the year since 1999, with their inaugural Cerulean Blue shade in the year 2000. Ever since then, they have been the world leaders in colour trends.

The trend

So, you would say, what’s so shocking about this year’s colour, “Cloud Dancer”?

There’s a certain anticipation that comes with the reveal of the new year’s colour. It paints a certain mood, bordering on socio-political views for certain groups. Will the colour be bright and carefree? Will it have a darker tone? Will it be a neutral but rich colour, similar to last year’s Mocha Mousse (Jewellery Business, July 2025)?

“At this time of transformation, when we are reimagining our future and our place in the world, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is a discrete white hue offering a promise of clarity. The cacophony that surrounds us has become overwhelming, making it harder to hear the voices of our inner selves. A conscious statement of simplification, Cloud Dancer enhances our focus, providing release from the distraction of external influences,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

Whatever prediction people had, no one anticipated the year 2026 to start with a shade of white. Many see this as a safe, commercial choice instead of a trend starter.

What does it mean for the jewellery world? Often, without knowing, the general public follows the trends. It could be a celebrity getting married with an oval diamond engagement ring, and suddenly everyone wants an oval. It could be a sapphire necklace, an idea, a person, just a spark to start an avalanche of sales to the same taste.

Now, coloured gemstone dealers and lovers might think that it will be a slow year for colour, but don’t worry! It could mean a diamond revival, and it could also be a great opportunity to offer choices in the coloured gemstones world.

Popular choices

As jewellers, sellers, artists, and designers, what are your options if not the diamond?

You have the colourless options that we have previously highlighted in the article, “Diamond replacements: Giving clients colourful colourless options,” published in the February 2024 issue of Jewellery Business.

Colourless sapphire

• Mohs hardness: 9
• High lustre
• No dispersion
• Most expensive option
• September birthstone

Colourless topaz

• Mohs hardness: 8
• Vitreous lustre
• No dispersion
• Not expensive
• November birthstone

Colourless quartz

• Mohs hardness: 7
• Vitreous lustre
• No dispersion
• Least expensive option
• April birthstone

Colourless zircon

• Mohs hardness: 6.5 to 7.5
• Sub-adamantine lustre (good lustre)
• Good dispersion
• Medium prices
• December birthstone

But if you want to look a little further and be more inspired by the clouds, here are some fun options you can introduce to your customers to make them feel a little more special.

Moonstones: Moonstones are a good option, if a little fragile, for the Cloud Dancer colour. You can choose to have them transparent with a blue sheen, or find moonstones with a milky cream appearance and a white sheen. It’s a discreet and fun option that’s not too expensive. Moonstone has a hardness of 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale. It’s also the June birthstone.

Agates: These are another good option to have. You can have white agate, creamy coloured agates, pale brown ones and even what we call “landscape agate” or “picture agate” that create a unique aspect to any jewellery you put them into. With a hardness of 7, these quartz varieties are fun to work with and, depending on the type, can get from inexpensive to collector’s stone very fast price-wise.

White opal: White opal could be a great option as well for more high-end jewellery lovers. The Ethiopian white opal, with a slightly creamy coloured base, is right on the colour scale for the year 2026. Add to that a little “fire,” and you can get a basic white gemstone transformed to a lively rainbow gem. Being the October gemstone with a hardness of 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, this gem is a little on the soft side so being cautious with it would be best.

Citrine: I debated whether to include this yellow quartz on the list, but I see so many beautiful Brazilian specimens with paler colours and softer tones that often go unnoticed. It has great potential for the 2026 colour theme if you just get off the paved road for it. Most of what we see on the market today is the heated, yellow-orange colour. But the natural ones have so much potential. With a hardness of 7 and representing topaz, the birthstone of November, this gem has everything to please.

Morganite: From the beryl family, this is softness incarnated. Soft, pastel, creamy colours in peach or pink, this gemstone is perfect for embodying the Pantone colour of the year. With a hardness of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, there’s not much to fear from setting it on a ring.

Mother of pearl and pearls: This would be a great option. Pearls have the perfect mix of chic and classic, and the shades of white you can have are infinite. They are a timeless jewellery article that never gets out of trend. Being the gem for June just makes it easier.

Jade: Jade is also a lesser-known option, but a good idea in the paler colours if clients want something a bit more exotic. (Or local! As we in Canada have one of the biggest Nephrite jade productions in the world.) With a hardness of 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale and one of the greatest tenacities in the gemstone world, jade is a good option for any type of jewellery.

Pastel colours: They are ideal for cloud dancing. You can find pastel colours in almost any type of gem (they’re just another shade, after all!), and the options mentioned above are great examples of what can be found. Sapphires and tourmalines are also well-known for their exceptional pastel colours, along with some garnets and quartz.

Despite a lot of discontent, we must see the announcement of Cloud Dancer from Pantone’s colour of the year 2026 as a refreshing return to simplicity and calm in a world often filled with noise and complexity.

While the soft white hue may initially seem understated for trendsetters and jewellery designers, it opens endless possibilities for creativity. Rather than limiting expression, Cloud Dancer invites innovation through texture, sheen, and subtle variations of tone, inspiring jewellers to explore both colourless brilliance, peach, cream, and pale tones, as well as delicate pastel shades.

From timeless pearls and lustrous sapphires to ethereal moonstones, morganites, and opals, this colour trend encourages designers to embrace gentleness and sophistication. Ultimately, “Cloud dancing with the gems” symbolizes a collective desire for balance—representing a growing need for all of us for the year ahead. 

Lauriane Lognay is a fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (FGA) and has won several awards. She is a gemstone dealer who works with jewellers to help them decide on the best stones for their designs. Lognay owns Rippana, Inc., a Montréal-based company that offers coloured gemstone, lapidary, and jewellery services. She can be reached at rippanainfo@gmail.com.