Amethyst
Calm and clarity, like light through a purple stone.
About amethyst
Amethyst tends to suggest calm and clarity, like light through a purple stone. It feels gentle and a little mysterious.
- What color is amethyst?
- Amethyst is a clear, medium purple, like the stone. Its hex code is #9966CC.
- Is amethyst warm or cool?
- Cool: it sits on the cool side of the color wheel, with the greens, blues and violets. It is a mid-tone color, value 5 of 10, and its opposite is olive. More in warm and cool colors.
- Where the name comes from
- From the Greek amethystos, not drunk. The stone was once thought to prevent drunkenness.
- Value and codes
- Value 5 of 10, in the violet family. RGB 153, 102, 204. OKLCH 60.8% 0.156 305.3.
Where to use amethyst
In a room
A bedroom wall, glassware or velvet cushions. It suits silver and pale wood.
In an outfit
Dresses, knits and jewelry. Lovely with gray.
In art
A clear purple for flowers, shadows and evening sky.
In design
On white its contrast is 4.1 to 1: fine for large headings, too light for small text. Dark text on it reads well, at 3.9 to 1.
What amethyst pairs with
- Pistachio
A soft green that freshens it.
- Dove gray
A quiet gray beside it.
- Butter
A pale yellow, its gentle opposite.
- Aubergine
A deeper purple, tone on tone.
The opposite of amethyst: Olive #7D7229
Opposite amethyst on the color wheel sits olive. Side by side, each makes the other look stronger; mixed, they turn each other gray.
Side by side
Amethyst around olive
Olive around amethyst
Often confused with amethyst
How to mix amethyst in paint
- 6 parts
titanium white - 6 parts
smalt hue - 5 parts
medium violet
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics. This is a calculated mix and comes very close, so adjust by eye as you go. It needs a more specialist color. Practice in our Paint Mixer game.
Amethyst tints, tones and shades
Tints
Tones
Shades
Tap a color to copy its code. A tint adds white, a tone adds gray of the same lightness, and a shade adds black. More in tints, tones and shades.
Colors similar to amethyst
Amethyst inspiration
Outfits
Find your own colors
Add the pictures you love to Color Taste to see which colors they share, or make a palette from one photo in Image to Palette.