“Indeed, no stone has a color that is more delightful to the eye…there being no green in existence more intense than this,” Pliny wrote about the emerald. Read more about the legendary green hue named the Pantone color of 2013.

Bhaval Shah Bell uses vivid images to honor the places she calls home, which have included Kenya, Great Britain, and Washington, D.C. The artist behind the Cartoloji series uses geography and topography to create modern abstract renditions of cities, states, countries, and continents.

Serious times demand a serious color. Oxblood fits the bill. The color that was popular in the 1930s and ’40s is making a comeback, leaving its mark on runways around the world, and proving its potential for use in the home.

It’s easy to find happiness in the company of bright colors. Pantone, the authority on all things color, suggests one color in particular for 2012: Tangerine Tango.