Colours have a deep impact not just on our moods but also on our psyche. They affect us on many different levels. So, one needs to be careful while choosing colours for their homes. Some colours might have a great visual appeal but functionally, they are not appropriate. With the onset of the New Year and right after the festive season, you may think red is a cheerful colour for the bedroom but in reality it may hamper your sleep. A good rule of thumb to go by is that less saturated bright colours are relaxing to the senses, while less bright saturated colours are energizing.

The most amazing thing about colour is the attractive appeal it has. The food industry too uses this appeal to make their products look tempting, thus increasing sales. For years, the artificial colouring of food has been a point of debate. Candies, fruit drinks, yogurts, gums, pre-made mixes, pickles, sauces and dips contain ingredients such as Yellow #5, Blue #1, and Red #40 – three of the most popular FDA-permitted ones. These artificial colours are not just limited to foods but also cough syrup, tooth paste and moisturizers contain artificial dyes. For good or bad, artificial colours in foods are here to stay for a while. The consequences however, can be disastrous.

Moldavite, also known as Bouteille Stone, is a fluid glassy material, a mineraloid that is mostly olive green in colour. It came from an asteroid impact about 15 million years ago in central Europe. The good pieces that have a striking shape and colour are often wire-wrapped or drilled and used as jewellery. It must be used as earrings and pendants as it is hard and brittle, like glass. These specimens are also collected by meteorite and mineral enthusiasts. However, the biggest purpose for gem and rough specimens of moldavite is in alternative and complementary medicine. But there isn't any proof about its effectiveness yet.

Morganite, also known as "pink beryl" and "rose beryl" for its pinkish appearance, is a rare type of beryl that is found in shades between orange, orange, pink and lilac. The small amounts of manganese lend the gem its pretty pink colour. It is one of the third common varieties of beryl found in jewellery shops. The collection is however very limited as it is difficult to get the proper colour. They usually heat the morganite to get a better colour so that it can be used in jewellery. The heat removes the yellow from the stone and turns the orange into a more desirable pink. Sometimes they even treat the stone to improve the colour.

Great Britain's favourite pet, the golden retriever was first registered as "Golden Flat Coats". Earlier, in the 1850s, England loved their black-coloured wavy-coated retrievers and Labrador retrievers, although yellow ones had always been present. Later, Sir Dudley Majoribanks (Lord Tweedmouth) began his breeding program in the late 1800s, and a golden-coloured retriever was developed as a separate breed. In 1920, they were renamed Golden Retrievers. This breed is one of the most-loved dogs in the world as they are charming, loyal, lovable, easy-going and pleasant companions.

Nature has brilliant ways of colouring organisms through cells in the skin. The Blue Poison Arrow Frog from South America contains three kinds of extremely branched colour cells called chromatophores. The animal can change its colour by altering the melanin pigment. By deploying the three types of cells, a wide range of colours can be created, ranging from bright green to shades of brown and grey. The xanthophores in the skin contain pteridines that are yellow, but they can create red pigments. Whereas, the erythrophores inside the skin contain carotenoids (absorbed through diet) which produce intermediate colours like orange and similar shades.