"Blue is the new green"*

Haven't you heard? Blue is going to be the big, big color of 2008. Pantone (bless their hearts) named Blue Iris - a deep blue with an undertone of purple - as Color of the Year, and blue featured prominently on runways - which means blue is set to trickle down to retail stores in a major way. So get ready!

Color trends are a bit silly. If a certain color makes you look putrid (for clothes) or doesn't work with your house's light (for paint colors), it's not going to magically look good if it's a "trendy" color. (People who paint their walls a trendy shade of lime green, I'm looking at you.)

However, I think blue is one of the most versatile and beautiful colors. It can be fun, funky, soulful or classic. Everything from teal, aqua and sky blue to cerulean, indigo, slate blue and navy are fair game.

As always, expressing a trend in accessories is the way to go. Wearing a blue necklace (featuring stones like lapis, tanzanite, sapphire or chalcedony) with blue jeans and a top in any color will give you a classic, balanced look. Blue is also lovely when it's popping against a background of white, gray, and especially orange, yellow and pink.

Here are a few ideas to get you on the blue bandwagon:

Aegean necklace, $58

Ocean blue chalcedony earrings, $16.50

Sapphire sky blue chalcedony drop necklace, $16

Ode to Summer necklace, $22

Dark blue sapphire necklace, $24.95

One-of-a-kind repurposed necklace, $18

My Blue Heaven necklace, $32

[The necklace at the top of the post is Blue jade toggle necklace, $28.50]

I hope you enjoyed this trio of posts about jewelry. Here are the previous installments in case you missed them: Aged metal jewelry and bitchin' statement jewelry.

* Quote courtesy of JWT, a marketing and advertising company quoted in the New York Times. I wasn't aware that companies can speak, but apparently they can.