Like television in the ’60s, jewelry has gone Technicolor. Color’s renaissance, which the fashion world proclaimed several seasons back, this year expands to the jewelry world, as jewels abandon monochromatic looks in favor of mixed gemstones.

The mixing of colored stones—a favorite fantasy of many gem-loving jewelry designers—is happily encouraged by the times. With the public better educated about jewelry, and women more interested in fine jewelry as a fashion accessory, rainbow-inspired gems have found an eager audience. And many semiprecious stones offer an additional bonus to consumers dealing with a questionable economy: affordability, which allows for the kind of combinations that make for eye-popping, attention-grabbing looks.