By Lorraine DePasque, Contributing Editor

From pretty in pink to gorgeous in green, suddenly everyone's “talkin' tourmaline”! This awesome gem—which, along with opal, happens to be one of October's birthstones—comes in a spectrum of hues, but its tourmaline's pinks and greens that are in the fashion spotlight, particularly the pastels.

As for the pastel pinks, some call them blush, while a few describe their color as cake-frost. With the greens, mint or seafoam is what your jeweler will probably call them. Either way, they are soothing, calming shades of tourmaline, which, perhaps not ironically, speak to tourmaline's many legends that refer to it as a stone that often reduces stress, anxiety, and confusion. Repeatedly in folklore, both pink and green tourmalines are also referred to as gems associated with the joy of life.

That said, it isn't surprising that, going forward, pink and green tourmaline jewelry is definitely an accessory favorite. (Translation: one of your wardrobe must-haves). Spring/summer 2011 colors are all about joy and escapism, says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute. In the Pantone top colors for women's collections for spring and summer, “Honeysuckle” pink takes the top spot while “Peapod” green is number five. We're all looking for colors that give us a lift, says Eiseman, the feel-good colors that are flirtatious and have a playful attitude. Ditto, according to New York-based trend analyst Meredith Smith, who says, “Next year's spring and summer colors are about fantasy, romance, and dreams—a movement toward mirth.”

All that joy—can it get any better? Well, when it comes to tourmaline, yes. There is much more to smile about because some of America 's best jewelry designers are so excited about the beautiful colors and cuts available in pink and green tourmaline that many are featuring them in their newest collections. That means there will be many different styles to choose from. Also many different price ranges--part of the beauty of tourmaline is that it is a gem that's available from affordable to more expensive. So, whatever your taste and pocketbook, there's likely a selection in tourmaline. Also, it's one of those gemstones that can either be faceted or cabochoned (curved on top, giving the stone a more translucent look)—so, again, it offers a variety of style and price options.

Add to all of this, with a hardness of 7-to-7.5 (on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the hardest), you can buy tourmaline rings and bracelets and not be overly concerned about them sometimes hitting a surface.

So what's the take-away? Quite simply: It's tourmaline time—be happy!