I don't see this mentioned anywhere, not even on Google's blogs yet, but I'm seeing a new Gmail Lab called Extra Emoji.

Extra Emoji
by Yuzo F

Compose messages with a richer set of emoji characters.

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/8484/extraemoji.jpg

I see it too.

When you compose an email now, there are a TON of emoticons with this enabled.....

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/9394/extraemoji1.jpg
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/9352/extraemoji2.jpg
http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/2743/extraemoji3.jpg
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/7965/extraemoji4.jpg
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/7059/extraemoji5.jpg
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/5504/extraemoji6.jpg
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/4843/extraemoji7.jpg
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/1434/extraemoji8.jpg
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/944/extraemoji9.jpg
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/2299/extraemoji10.jpg
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/802/extraemoji11.jpg
http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/3515/extraemoji12.jpg
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/7445/extraemoji13.jpg

lol. They make use of what my Big Gmail Hunt. http://blogoscoped.com/forum/143407.html#id143455

This has just now been posted to the Gmail Blog.

<< If you're wondering how we had time to created another couple hundred emoticons....we didn't.... >>

Nice found! This reminds me of Trillian's emoticons (they were a lot!)

Covered at
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Midmarket/Google-Adds-Search-Capability-Extra-Emoticons-to-Gmail-363722/

http://groups.google.com/group/gmail-labs-help-extra-emoji/topics

Don't Want.