I have to say I’m thrilled to see my birthstone of emerald named the Color of 2013 by the Pantone Color Institute. The verdant green promotes balance, according to Pantone, as well as the perception of sophistication and luxury (as its namesake gemstone implies). I see it as part of the anti-recession attitude that I’ve observed lately in nails.

“Green is the most abundant hue in nature — the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, in a press release. “As it has throughout history, multifaceted emerald continues to sparkle and fascinate. Symbolically, emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal, and rejuvenation, which is so important in today’s complex world. This powerful and universally appealing tone translates easily to both fashion and home interiors.”

I bet we’ll be seeing lots of emerald releases in the nail color field this spring. Sephora already announced it will be launching an emerald nail polish in March 2013. “Emerald is the perfect punctuation point in nail color because of its complementary nature,” according to Pantone.

—Sree