On Thursday, The Pantone Color Institute selected a velvety gentle peach tone to be its 2024 Color of the Year. The institute said Peach Fuzz's warm and welcoming embrace conveys a message of compassion and empathy.

The subtle orange-pink Peach Fuzz (PANTONE 18-1750) stands in stark contrast to 2023's Viva Magenta, which was described last year as a “new animated red that revels in pure joy.”

Conscious of a world in turmoil, Pantone decided this year to seek a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness, connection and a more peaceful future.

"We chose a color radiant with warmth and modern elegance," noted Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute. "[It's] a shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless."

Typically, Pantone’s yearly selection influences product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home furnishings and industrial design, as well as product packaging and graphic design.

Consumers embracing Peach Fuzz-inspired fashion items might consider accessorizing with fine jewelry featuring orange-pink gemstones, such as padparadscha sapphire and morganite.

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Having been called “a true Rembrandt among gemstones,” padparadscha is the rarest and most valuable variety of sapphire. Padparadscha belongs to the corundum family of gemstones, which includes rubies and sapphires. The presence of trace elements determines the color of each gemstone.

While blue sapphires are naturally colored with iron and rubies with chromium, padparadschas are colored by the presence of both. The delicate interplay of pink and orange hues makes this gem one of nature’s greatest achievements. The gem’s name is derived from “padma raga,” which literally means “the color of the lotus flower” in Sanskrit.

Morganite is a member of the beryl family of gemstones, which includes emerald and aquamarine. Once known simply as pink beryl, the gemstone got its current name in 1911 when the famous New York gemologist G. F. Kunz recommended that the pretty pinkish-orange stone be named for banker and mineral collector John Pierpont Morgan. The New York Academy of Sciences agreed and this unique variety of beryl was officially designated as “morganite.”

The Pantone Color Institute originally created the Pantone Color of the Year educational program in 1999 to engage the design community and color enthusiasts around the world in a conversation around color.

Here are the Pantone Colors of the Year dating back to 2010…

PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta (2023)
PANTONE 17-3938 Veri Peri (2022)
PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray (2021)
PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating (2021)
PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue (2020)
PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral (2019)
PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet (2018)
PANTONE 15-0343 Greenery (2017)
PANTONE 13-1520 Rose Quartz (2016)
PANTONE 15-3919 Serenity (2016)
PANTONE 18-1438 Marsala (2015)
PANTONE 18-3224 Radiant Orchid (2014)
PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald (2013)
PANTONE 17-1463 Tangerine Tango (2012)
PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle (2011)
PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise (2010)

Credits: Color swatch images courtesy of Pantone courtesy. Padparadscha image by Chip Clark / Smithsonian and digitally enhanced by SquareMoose. Morganite image by Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.