Cerulean
A blue-green colour once made from cobalt stannate and linked with the sky
Cerulean is a blue that can range from a light azure to a strong sky blue, often with a greenish tint. The name comes from Latin for 'sky' or 'heaven', and the pigment was first made in the late 1700s from cobalt stannate. It became popular with artists in the 19th century and is now known for its stable, lasting colour.
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- First recorded as a colour name in English in 1590
- Pigment made from cobalt stannate since 1789
- Used by artists like Monet and Morisot
- Chosen for the United Nations emblem after World War II
- Pantone named cerulean the first Color of the Year in 2000
What colour is Cerulean?
Cerulean is a blue that sits between azure and sky blue, with a hint of green in some versions. It can appear as a gentle, pale blue or a more vivid, strong blue-green. The pigment is known for its stability and resistance to fading, making it a favourite in painting. Cerulean stands out from other blues for its slightly greenish undertone and its link to the colour of the sky.
Where does Cerulean come from?
The name 'cerulean' comes from the Latin 'caeruleus', meaning dark blue or blue-green, itself from a word for 'sky' or 'heaven'. The colour name first appeared in English in 1590. The pigment was created in 1789 by Albrecht Höpfner in Switzerland, using cobalt and tin oxides. It was called Höpfner blue and later ceruleum or cerulean. British and German firms helped spread its use in the 19th century.
How is Cerulean made?
Cerulean pigment is made by heating cobalt and tin oxides to form cobalt stannate. This mineral compound gives a greenish-blue colour. In watercolour, it can look a bit chalky, but in oil paint it appears smoother. Some modern versions use cobalt chromate, which is darker and greener. The pigment is valued for being inert and highly resistant to light.
Where Cerulean is used
Cerulean blue became widely used by artists from the 1870s, especially in oil painting. Famous painters such as Monet and Morisot used it for skies and clothing. It is also found in watercolours and acrylics, and appears in textiles and digital design. The United Nations chose cerulean blue for their emblem after World War II.
What Cerulean means
Cerulean blue is permitted in Catholic vestments for certain Marian feast days, such as the Immaculate Conception, mainly in regions with Spanish influence. The sources do not connect cerulean with other symbolic meanings or emotions.
Blue around the world
What the blue family means from country to country.
At Oxford and Cambridge a blue is the award given to those who represent the university in sport. Oxford's is dark blue and Cambridge's light blue, as worn in the Boat Race.
Festival and celebrationPrideSource: Blue (university sport)Lapis lazuli has been mined in the mountains of Badakhshan for more than six thousand years. Ground to powder it gave ultramarine, the costliest blue in European painting.
Royalty and powerSacred and holyAweSource: Lapis lazuliThe chadari is a full-length covering for women with a mesh panel over the eyes. In Kabul and the north it is most often a light blue.
Protection and healingSource: BurqaThe blue band of the flag stands for the wish of the Armenian people to live under peaceful skies. The red above it is for the highlands and the struggle to survive.
Politics and protestHopeSource: Flag of ArmeniaThe flag is sky blue, white and sky blue, created by Manuel Belgrano in 1812. National teams are called the Albiceleste, the white and sky blue.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of ArgentinaBoca Juniors play in blue and gold. The club's story is that in 1907 it took the colours of the flag of the next ship into port, which was Swedish.
Festival and celebrationPrideSource: Boca JuniorsShades and relatives of Cerulean
Cerulean comes in several shades, from pale to vivid blue. Variants include Pantone's pale cerulean, Crayola's bright cerulean, and cerulean frost, a metallic version. Cobalt chromate is sometimes sold as cerulean but is darker and greener. Cerulean is sometimes confused with turquoise or other blue-greens.
Colours that go with Cerulean
Harmonies are worked out from the value #007BA7. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Cerulean
What colour is cerulean?
Cerulean is a blue that ranges from light azure to a strong sky blue, often with a greenish tint. It is sometimes described as a greenish-blue.
Where does the name cerulean come from?
The name comes from the Latin word 'caeruleus', which means dark blue, blue, or blue-green, and is linked to the word for 'sky' or 'heaven'.
How is cerulean pigment made?
Cerulean pigment is made by heating cobalt and tin oxides to create cobalt stannate, a stable mineral compound. Some modern versions use cobalt chromate, which is darker and greener.
When did artists start using cerulean blue?
Artists began using cerulean blue widely in the 1870s, after it became available in oil paint. Before that, it was mainly used in watercolours.
Is cerulean used for any special meanings or occasions?
Cerulean blue is permitted for Catholic vestments on certain Marian feast days, such as the Immaculate Conception, especially in areas with Spanish influence.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Cerulean", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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