Color-powerhouse Pantone has announced their Color of the Year pick, and I’m actually pretty excited about it. This year, they’ve selected Classic Blue, as in deep, soothing, meditative, luxuriously calming Sapphire Blue.

“This solid and dependable blue is timeless and elegant, reflecting the desire for stability in rapidly changing times.

“Imbued with a deep resonance, Classic Blue provides an anchoring foundation. A boundless blue evocative of the vast and infinite evening sky, Classic Blue encourages us to look beyond the obvious to expand our thinking; challenging us to think more deeply, increase our perspective and open the flow of communication,” says Pantone Color Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman.”

When it comes to Pearls and Sapphires, these two gemstones are absolutely made for each other. That gorgeous blue plays a perfect contrast with the Silvery-White hues of White South Sea pearls in particular. Check out some of my favorite designs using Pearls and Sapphires:

“Blue Moon” was a Custom Design I created for a client many moons ago, but still holds a place in my heart. Crafted using 3 marquis-cut Ceylon Blue Sapphires and a stunning 13.0-14.0mm White South Sea pearl in a bright, optic white body color with Silvery Overtones, this gorgeous South Sea Pearl Pendant is a treasure that I’ll always remember.

One of the most traditional ways to pair Sapphires and Pearls together is to finish a full strand (or two, or three!) with a Sapphire accented clasp, like this 8.0-8.5mm, 36-Inch Akoya Pearl Necklace we finished a few years ago:

Enough about me though! Let’s take a look at some stunning designs from around the world, modern and antique!

I absolutely adore this elegant, classic Akoya Pearl, Diamond and Sapphire Dangle Earring design – the perfectly matched pair of Pear-Shape Sapphires look like 6x4mm sizes. You really can’t get more timelessly beautiful than a design like this. Pairing the soft rounded shapes of the Sapphire with perfectly round Japanese Akoya pearls seems like a perfect juxtaposition to my eye. Slightly breaking up that line with a tiny cross of diamonds in the middle was genius.

Another modern design, this classic Halo gets a colorful twist with vibrant Blue Sapphires surrounding an Akoya pearl. Way to make that pearl POP!

From Christie’s, this amazing Station-Style Pearl and Sapphire Necklace has a hidden surprise – can you guess what it is? Leave a comment, and I’ll tell you if you’re right!

VERY Victorian! This incredible necklace reminds me of a spider web … like this should be coming out of the “Mourning Jewelry” phase of the Victorian era. The pearls are most likely natural Freshwater River Pearls from Europe, and that cushion-cut Sapphire looks like it just glows with that coveted Kashmir Blue velvety color. Delicate and lovely.

Bringing things back to modern times, these Mikimoto Sapphire and Akoya Pearl Hoop Earrings feature a gorgeous ombré layout of Princess-cut stones from deep Cornflower Blue through colorless White Sapphires.

Let’s finish off our dazzling tour of Sapphire and Pearl with this incredible pearl ring from Yoko London. What I love about this particular design is that it reminds me strongly of Carnival. I think quite a few of Yoko’s designs evoke that feeling of exuberance and decadence, and this one in particular stands out for me.

And, Ok, I know I said that was the last, but here’s one more piece that shows that Sapphires aren’t just meant to White Pearls.

“Aphrodite” is a colorful confection from Yoko again, shimmer with Pink, White and Lavender Metallic Freshwater Pearls, studded with Sapphires and Amethyst gemstones, and sparkling with pavé diamond accents.

So there you have it – some of my absolute favorite combinations using Classic Blue and Pearls.

Remember, Pure Pearls specializes in Custom Design and I started out in jewelry specializing in precious color, so if you’d like to create something timeless with Sapphires and Pearls, email me anytime. My direct address is: Ashley@purepearls.com