Colour news
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Rang

Named shades

A particular tint or shade with a name of its own, from azure to zaffre.

FamilyRedOrangeYellowGreenTurquoiseBluePurplePinkBrownWhiteGreyBlackGold
KindBasic colourNamed shadePigmentDyeColour named from natureTraditional colourNational or team colourHeraldic colourStandard colourScreen colour
Made fromMineral or earthPlantAnimalSyntheticLight only (no pigment)
#8000FF Violet A bluish-purple seen in both flowers and the light spectrumBasic colour #800080 Purple A cool colour between red and blue, long linked with royalty and rarityBasic colour 路 馃嚤馃嚙 Lebanon +5 #6A5DFF Indigo A deep blue named for the dye once exported from IndiaNamed shade 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +5 #FF00FF Magenta A purplish-pink colour named after a battle and key to modern printingNamed shade 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +4 #FFD700 Gold A strong yellow named for the precious metal and often linked with wealth and first placeNamed shade #C3B091 Khaki A light tan with a yellowish tinge, once made for military uniformsNamed shade 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +2 #40E0D0 Turquoise A blue-green colour named after a prized mineral long used for gems and decorationNamed shade 路 馃嚠馃嚪 Iran +5 #808000 Olive A dark yellowish green, like the colour of unripe olivesNamed shade #120A8F Ultramarine A deep blue pigment once made from lapis lazuli, prized for centuries in artPigment 路 馃嚘馃嚝 Afghanistan +2 #F5F5DC Beige A pale, warm colour named after natural, undyed woolNamed shade 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +2 #007FFF Azure A clear sky blue, halfway between blue and cyan on the colour wheelNamed shade 路 馃嚠馃嚬 Italy +2 #E25822 Scarlet A bright red with a touch of orange, long tied to power, sacrifice and sinNamed shade 路 馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey +4 #E34234 Vermilion A brilliant orange-red pigment, once made from toxic mercury orePigment 路 馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey +5 #87CEEB Sky blue A light blue named for the colour of a clear daytime skyNamed shade 路 馃嚘馃嚪 Argentina +5 #DC143C Crimson A deep red with a hint of purple, once made from insectsNamed shade 路 馃嚦馃嚨 Nepal #C8A2C8 Lilac A soft purple inspired by the typical colour of lilac flowersNamed shade #800000 Maroon A deep brownish red named for the French word for chestnutNamed shade 路 馃嚘馃嚭 Australia +4 #704214 Sepia A reddish-brown colour named for the ink of the cuttlefishNamed shade #BFFF00 Lime A sharp yellow-green named for the skin of the lime fruitNamed shade #0047AB Cobalt blue A strong, stable blue pigment made from cobalt and alumina since the early 1800sPigment 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +3 #80FF00 Chartreuse A bright yellow-green named after a French liqueurNamed shade #FFFDD0 Cream A soft yellow-white named after the top layer of milkNamed shade #000080 Navy blue A deep blue shade named for the uniforms of the Royal NavyNamed shade 路 馃嚭馃嚫 United States +2 #FFBF00 Amber A yellow-orange colour named after fossilised tree resinNamed shade #FF7F50 Coral A vivid orange-pink named after the colour of precious coral from the seaNamed shade #008080 Teal A dark cyan named after the Eurasian teal bird鈥檚 blue-green head stripeNamed shade #F4C430 Saffron A yellow-orange shade named after the colour of saffron crocus threadsNamed shade 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +1 #E0B0FF Mauve A pale purple named after the mallow flower and once a fashion sensationNamed shade 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France Green Celadon闈掔摲 A jade-green ceramic glaze prized in East Asian pottery for centuriesNamed shade 路 馃嚚馃嚦 China +4 #800020 Burgundy A purplish dark red named after the wine region in FranceNamed shade 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France #FFFFF0 Ivory A soft off-white shade with a hint of yellow, named after animal tusksNamed shade #FF0080 Rose A bright colour halfway between red and magenta on the colour wheelNamed shade #FA8072 Salmon A warm pink-orange shade named after the flesh of the salmon fishNamed shade #3D2B1F Bistre A dark brown pigment and colour made from soot, once used in Old Master drawingsPigment #007BA7 Cerulean A blue-green colour once made from cobalt stannate and linked with the skyNamed shade 路 馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom #9966CC Lavender A pale purple named for the lavender flower, with many subtle variationsNamed shade #B87333 Copper A reddish brown shade named for the metal it matchesNamed shade #FFE5B4 Peach A soft pastel shade named for the inside of a peach fruitNamed shade 路 馃嚚馃嚦 China #002366 Royal blue A strong, deep blue linked with royalty and national flagsNamed shade 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +4 #B7410E Rust A deep reddish-orange named after the colour of oxidised ironNamed shade #C41E3A Cardinal A strong, deep red linked to church robes and team coloursNamed shade #DE3163 Cerise A dark pink named after the French word for cherryNamed shade #C2B280 Ecru A pale, greyish yellow once named for unbleached linenNamed shade #00FF80 Spring green A bright green halfway between green and cyan on the RGB colour wheelNamed shade #40826D Viridian A blue-green pigment made from hydrated chromium oxide, valued in painting since the 1800sPigment #483C32 Taupe A grey-brown shade named after the colour of a mole鈥檚 furNamed shade #FFF700 Lemon A vivid yellow named for the colour of lemon fruitNamed shade #191970 Midnight blue A deep blue that recalls the sky late at night under moonlightNamed shade
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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly palette

Every Monday: seven colours you may not know, what the world is wearing this week, and one idea about colour.