Cloud Dancer: Why Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2026 is a Surprising Choice for Jewellery

For the first time, Pantone has named a white hue as its Colour of the Year for 2026. PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is not a stark or clinical white, but a soft off-white that sits somewhere between warm and cool. As jewellery lovers, our initial gut reaction to this choice was one of subtle disappointment. After all, the mineral palette is full of rich and exciting colours to choose from. However, upon reflection, it has been clear for some months that we’ve been heading in this wispy, quiet luxury direction. A mastery of tonal white hues with layers of diamonds, rock crystal, ceramic, enamel, cacholong, agate, opal… this requires serious artistry. Let’s take a closer look and consider some recent examples. 

Pantone has been selecting its Colour of the Year since 2000, and Cloud Dancer is the lightest hue it has ever chosen. In the context of fine jewellery, this decision feels less surprising than it might first appear. White has long been central to jewellery design as a way of highlighting form, material and light. It is rarely the safe or neutral choice, rather it is often the more audacious jewellers who choose white materials. They’ve no need to hide behind punchy colours or chromatic clashes. Instead, artists who choose white have a nuanced appreciation of light and shadow and purposefully leave little room for distraction.