The Rose Period of Picasso lasted from 1904 to 1906. This period showed an increased personal joy and romance for Picasso and he used cheerful orange and pink colours in contrast to the cool, sombre tones of his previous Blue Period. During these few years, Picasso was happy in a relationship and this has been suggested as one of the possible reasons he changed his style of painting. The dominating subjects of his art during this period were harlequins, circus performers and clowns.

The reason why red is considered to be Christmas colour goes back to the early years of Christianity in the 1300s. Adam and Eve's Day was celebrated every December 24th. Churches put on a Paradise Play depicting Adam and Eve's story. The apples on the paradise tree represented the fall of Adam in these plays. Red is also the colour of Holly berries, which is said to represent the blood of Jesus Christ when he died on the cross, reminding the world to celebrate his selfless love and sacrifice.

The name Rhodochrosite comes from the Greek 'rhodon' for rose, and 'chros' for colour. It is a striking gem with stripes of pink and sometimes orange. It was discovered by Inca Ripac, an Incan ruler around the 13th century. The Incas believed that it was the blood of their former kings and queens turned into stone. It is known as the 'Stone of Love and Balance', believed to help people find love. It also helps release past psychological issues, stimulates blood circulation, improves eyesight, and helps overcome fear and paranoia.

The name of the stone Chrysoprase comes from the Greek word 'chrysos' meaning 'golden' and 'prason' meaning 'leek' as a reference to its colour. It is sometimes called the 'Stone of Venus'. It was believed to be a magical stone and was said to bring good health and longevity to marriages. It is believed that Alexander the Great used to wear it on his belt to help him win battles. But one day, while Alexander had taken off his belt to bath in a river, a snake bit the stone and threw it in the water. Alexander could not find the stone and never won a battle after this. In the Middle Ages, people used to think that one could become invisible by putting it in one's mouth.

The quetzal is a bird that many name among the world's most beautiful and colourful. It lives in the mountainous, tropical forests of Central America surviving on fruits, insects, lizards, and other tiny creatures. It was the sacred bird of the ancient Mayas and Aztecs. Today, it is the national emblem of Guatemala whose monetary unit is also called the quetzal. It has long blue-green plumes covering its tail which is white underneath. Its head, with a rounded hair-like crest, and the top of its breast are gold-green. The back is blue with a gold-tinged mantle and a red belly.

Parrot fish are generally brightly coloured with fused teeth that form beak-like plates that make them look like parrots. Their colours range from greens to reds, blues and yellows, even greys, browns and black. Interestingly, males and females of the same species look different and female parrotfishes can even change into males. Their colouration and patterns are a classification nightmare, varying significantly. They change their colour as they go from babies to adolescents, and finally to adults. Parrotfish are mainly responsible for making scuba diving so colourful.