In designing and making beaded jewellery, I pay close attention to function. And colour is one of many factors which can strongly influence how an accessory will be used. In this post, I will be sharing some lessons learned about colour with some interesting examples from my palettes on Colourlovers.com.

Colour Richness …

Many shades and tints of colour can be perceived from a single object, depending on perspective and lighting. Creating a palette based on a photo of a pair of earrings for instance, reveals the colour richness of the beads (among other things).

Similar but not Monotonous is great!

Colour Pros call them ‘Analogous Colours’. These include lighter or darker versions of one colour as well as blends of 2 or 3 colours. When an accessory has a palette like ‘Amberine’ below, it can be treated as a colour block, making colour coordination easy.

The Mystery of Gold

Capturing ‘gold’ in one or two colours is impossible!!! It is a composite of many yellows (and even brown). Also, the unique metallic luster of gold (the way it reflects light) means that it changes how the colours around it are perceived. This quality creates amazing photographic effects and makes golden accessories very fashionable.

Like Context, Backgrounds Matter

As with the palette ‘Subtle’ above, backgrounds are often a major character in any drama. This does not diminish the beauty of the subject matter. It merely enhances it. The real-world backdrop for a pair of earrings will include skin colour, blush/cheek colours, colour of clothing, etc. They transform an accessory into a character in an ensemble. This allows us to look beyond the beauty of a part to perceive the beauty of the whole!!