Pantone, the global authority on color, has released its prediction for The Color of 2012, and it’s Tangerine Tango.

If you’ve been paying attention the the Spring ‘12 runway trends, you know that color is coming back in a major way to lift our spirits from the past few years of global economic doldrums.

According to the Color of 2012 article, tangerine was the most frequently bought color for spring, though this doesn’t necessarily mean designs have to be so literal in incorporating the color.  For jewelers, this creates an amazing opportunity to really play around with Tangerine Tango as well its complements. As Douglas K. Hucker, CEO of the American Gem Trade Association, says, “For jewelers, Tangerine Tango [not only] means displaying a range of offerings—carnelian, citrine, fire opal, and more—but also displaying non-tangerine colors to complement. Think of what you can put in your inventory that will work with tangerine, that’s called color blocking.”

Just like animal prints, bold colors like Tangerine Tango can be considered a neutral when paired correctly. Edgier customers will dress such that Tangerine Tango is a neutral when paired with other bright colors, while more conservative dressers will use it as a pop color paired with a neutral color, like beige.