Pantone chooses emerald green as the color of the year

Pantone announced Wednesday that emerald green is its 2013 color of the year.

The color of precious stones. The color of Midori moscato. The color of money.

I thought Pantone was going to go in a bluer direction - think Carrie Bradshaw's boudoir in the first Sex and the City - but I can dig this greener option. It's clean. It's fresh. It's metallicky. It's rich and it signifies change.

Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone's color specialist, says  green is about clarity and renewal.

"it's really a balance of color," Eiseman said. "Green is a combination of blue and yellow. You have two opposites of color forming a color that Mother Nature uses to show a richness."

Pantone hasn't named a shade of green in quite some time.  Part of the reason, she said, was because was green has been a major movement that has gotten its' own shine as in eco-friendly and eating green. But this year, Eiseman said, "it's time that green be officially acknowledged.

Emerald green is a good color for next year because it marries all things fashion with all things futuristic, mirroring exactly where home decor and fashion is going. Emerald green can be classic and manly when paired with navy blue and it can be springy when blended with chartreuse and yellows. But when sparked with silver, emerald green is super futuristic. It reminds me of a greenish greige.

Pantone is working with Sephora to come out with a line of cosmetics - I'm thinking eye shadows, but  there could be very forward metallic lipsticks in the mix.

So after all is said and done, I think emerald green is a hot choice for 2013. It embodies a mood that's high-tech and fashion forward, as well as giving us a nod to classic shades.

Pantone's color of the year for 2012 was Tangerine Tango.

To read more about emerald green and other "colors of the year." Read the Style and Soul section next Wednesday.