Dresses, blouses, skirts and pants in bright orange, pink and yellow - the colours of summer 2008 - have been hanging in boutiques and department stores since early this year.

The bright-colour trend is also reflected in jewellery fashions this year. Large stones glisten in blue, green and red tones and similar to the flashy clothing, attract attention.

"The colours of the season occur in the entire rainbow," said Karl-Eugen Friedrich, chairman of the German association of jewellers in Cologne. To emphasize the trendy green, red and blue tones, the size of the piece of jewellery is important. "A pendant can have a diameter of as much as three centimetres."

Even though they are known for their colours, rubies, emeralds and sapphires are playing less of a role this season.

"These stones are cut too small," said Friedrich, adding that by contrast the minerals topaz, aquamarine and spinel are "a big subject." They sparkle in deep violet blue, create a fresh array in green and captivate in luminous orange.

Whether these stones appear on necklaces or rings, earrings or brooches, "there are many variations - from tinted pearls to coloured stones," said Friedrich. "It was totally different three years ago." Now colour is back in again.

But these real precious stones and pearls, which are more expensive, aren't alone in bringing colour into play this season. Cheaper costume jewellery is also glistening in red, yellow and green. A must-have this summer, according to experts, is a bracelet, and it doesn't matter whether it's made of plastic, coloured wood or other material.

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