Polished and sophisticated, fall fashions are modern, but realistic—big on luxury, but easy to wear. It’s about wearable clothes with an edge—like fur trim, sequins, or metallic accents that look chic all day and night. The season provides lots of options—from short skirts to long, wide-legged pants to skinny, pumps to flats. Favorite influences draw from the sleek modernism of the ‘60s, as well as ‘80s rock chic, ‘70s disco, ‘50s ivy league, ‘30s dames, and ‘20s Jazz age style.     Cultural inspirations come from the landscapes of Spain and Russia, tongue-in-cheek British mod and Asian flare in kimono sleeves and mandarin collars.   Jewelistas will be happy to know that fine jewelry remains an essential fashion accessory. The focus this year is not on flash, but rather elegance with attention to detail and craftsmanship. Major movements reveal ultra feminine motifs, masculine shapes with ladylike accents, art deco themes, and futuristic mod graphics. Hammered metals in pink, yellow or white gold set with gemstones are key. Other trends embrace yellow gold and onyx, a men’s classic, reinvented for women; ‘40s-style gem pavé with bold, faceted chalcedony or chandelier-cut crystal; and clean metal shapes adorned with crystals, hematite, and marcasite.

   As expected, dark neutrals prevail for fall fashion, including black, brown and gray, with various shades of gray most prominent. But looks are not so somber this year, as vibrant jewel tones and rich pastels enhance the palette. The most powerful color trends in New York are driven by concern for the environment. Green rules, especially softer, more botanical shades like moss. Nature blues—in the colors of the sky and water—are important.
Purples explode in a natural fusion of plums and berries. New earthy neutrals reflect hues of stones and soil. Yellows shift to lower chromes of ochre tones. While rich, ethnic accents like deep, exotic reds and warm, radiant oranges punch up lighter neutrals.

  In London, Milan and Paris, rich, saturated color is even more pronounced. Next to dark neutrals, purple is a favorite in shades from violet to grape. Popular blues range from inky navy, indigo and cobalt to teal, aqua and ice blue. Greens, too, offer a spectrum of earthy colors such as grass, spearmint, emerald, jade, sage, and olive.

	Various orange into yellow shades are key like burnt amber, persimmon, poppy, tangerine, marigold, mustard, and lemon. Even eye-searing bright neons inject shots of lime, hot pink, fuchsia and scarlet into the palette. Burnished gold and bronze hues add a decorative touch. The contrast of the season’s neutrals combined with bright emerging colors creates the perfect balance—as in ashy gray with berry purple; metallic silver with fruity citron; charcoal with burnt orange; almond with bright tangerine; chocolate brown with bubble gum pink; or graphic black and white with chartreuse, emerald, or malachite.
	Other seasonal combinations include champagne-tinted pastels with cinnamon and chocolate, fruity shades with stark white, and industrial hues from silvery blues, to greens and lavenders with gray overtones or a spritz of oxidized metallics. Look for tone-on-tone designs, color gradations, random color clusters, and mosaics to be important.
	Ideal gems for this palette include emerald, demantoid and tsavorite garnets, peridot, spessartite garnet, Mexican fire opal, green and purple amethyst, aquamarine, blue and fancy sapphire, and various colors of tourmaline, moonstone, and zircon. Opal with interesting play of color is a designer favorite, while onyx and pearls are perfect for black and white blends. Classic turquoise, lapis, coral, and various agates also work well with the latest fashion shades.

Fall Must Haves

1. Big gem cocktail rings
2. Statement necklace, typically set in different gems in one color family
3. Long chain necklaces with interspersed gems and/or pearls, or hanging prominent gem pendant
4. Gem-set earrings in drop, modified chandelier or hoop styles
5. Gem sprinkled bangles or cuffs, the more the merry for bold wrist action
6. Gem brooches are ideal for adding jeweled embellishment to any fashion
By Deborah A. Yonick.