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Kind of Color
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Color
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A rich, intense ultramarine blue named after the deep-blue semi-precious stone prized since ancient times for jewelry, carvings, and pigments, especially mined historically in Badakhshan. |
Lapis Lazuli
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A bright, cool, slightly violet-leaning blue named after the chemical elements yttrium, indium, and manganese that form the stable oxide pigment discovered by researchers at Oregon State University in 2009. |
YlnMn Blue
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A very dark, slightly green-tinged blue named after the historic state of Prussia, where the pigment was first produced in the early 18th century and widely used in paints, dyes, and military uniforms. |
Prussian Blue
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A deep, rich blue with a slightly violet tone named after the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre, which was famous for producing rare and prestigious dyes in antiquity. |
Tyrian Blue
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A deep, rich crimson red named for the natural dye made from crushed cochineal insects, historically produced in regions such as Mexico and Peru. |
Carmine
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A dark, resinous red named for the deep red sap of several tropical trees, especially species of the genus Dracaena, whose hardened resin was historically used as a pigment, varnish, and medicine. |
Dragons Blood
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A bright, warm red with slight orange tones named after the tropical hardwood tree Paubrasilia echinata, historically harvested in Brazil for its red dye used in textiles and paints. |
Brazil Wood
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A vivid, slightly orange-leaning red named for the chemical element cadmium, which is used to create this stable and intense pigment for artists’ paints. |
Cadmium Red
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A bright, warm orange named for the chemical element cadmium, which is combined with sulfur to produce this durable pigment used in painting. |
Cadmium Orange
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A bold, warm yellow named for the chemical element cadmium, which forms a stable pigment commonly used in artist paints. |
Cadmium Yellow
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A dull, brownish-yellow or tawny color named for the natural coloration of certain animals, like lions or ducks, and derived from the Latin word fulvus describing this earthy tone. |
Fulvous
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A pale, bluish-gray or greenish-gray color named for the powdery or waxy coating found on plants and fruits, such as grapes or cabbage, that gives them a frosted appearance. |
Glaucous
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An extremely deep, near-total black named for the material made of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, originally developed for aerospace applications to absorb almost all light. |
Vantablack
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A soft, pale green with gray or blue undertones named for the glazed ceramics of East Asia, particularly China and Korea, historically prized for their jade-like appearance. |
Celadon
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A bright, vivid red with an orange undertone named for the powdered mineral cinnabar, historically ground to create this pigment used in art and decoration. |
Vermilion
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A bright, warm red with slight orange tones named for the naturally occurring mineral mercury sulfide, historically mined and ground to produce vermilion pigment. |
Cinnabar
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A very pale, icy blue named to evoke the concept of the lowest possible temperature in physics, where molecular motion theoretically stops. |
Absolute Zero
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A muted gray-green named after the lush, idyllic palace described in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem Kubla Khan, evoking exotic and mysterious landscapes. |
Xanadu
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A pale, fleshy pink or beige named for its resemblance to the color of human skin, derived from the Greek word sarkos, meaning flesh. |
Sarcoline
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A deep, earthy red named after the pigment traditionally made from the tailings of the copper mines in Falun, historically used to paint wooden buildings. |
Falu
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A vivid, intense pink named after the contemporary artist Stuart Semple, who created it as one of the brightest commercially available pink pigments. |
Stuart Semple Pink
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A bright, warm yellow named after the Niobium Tin Pyrochlore inorganic pigment chemistry, a modern patented pigment developed to provide a highly durable and vivid yellow for coatings and paints. |
NTP Yellow
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A bright, durable orange with slight yellow‑red warmth named for its Rutile Tin Zinc inorganic pigment chemistry used in high‑performance coatings and colorants. |
RTZ Orange
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A warm, golden yellow named after the inner bark of the American yellow oak (Quercus velutina), historically boiled to produce a natural dye. |
Quercitron
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A rich, bright red named for the scale insects (Dactylopius coccus) from which the dye is extracted, historically cultivated in Mexico and Peru. |
Cochineal
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A muted, earthy brown named for the pigment originally made from powdered Egyptian mummies mixed with gum or oil, used in European painting from the 16th to 19th centuries. |
Mummy Brown
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A deep reddish-pink named after the flowering plant Amaranthus, which was historically prized for its long-lasting, vibrant blossoms. |
Amaranth
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A warm, brownish-orange named for the iron-rich soils of Australia, which inspired pigments used in traditional paints and art. |
Australien
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A bright, pale yellow named for the color of ripe banana fruit, reflecting its natural, sunny hue.
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Banan
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A light, muted brown with a hint of yellow named for the color of finely split or shaved pieces of burly wood used in carpentry and furniture. |
Burlywood
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A bright, vivid red-orange named after the French word for the wild corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas), whose striking flowers inspired the pigment. |
Coquelicot
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A deep, iridescent green-blue named for the glossy, dark-colored feathers of a male duck (drake), often used to describe rich feather tones in textiles and art. |
Drake’s-neck
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A muted gray-green named for the standard color of German military uniforms, historically used for camouflage in fields and battlefields. |
Feldgrau
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A rich, translucent yellow-orange named for the gum resin obtained from trees of the genus Garcinia, historically harvested in Southeast Asia for use as a pigment. |
Gamboge
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A warm, medium orange-brown named for the spicy root ginger, reflecting the natural color of its dried or powdered form. |
Ginger Line
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A deep, iridescent blue-green named after the reflective, metallic colors seen in the mineral labradorite, originally found in the Labrador region. |
Labrador
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A bright, rich yellow named after the ceremonial robes of the Japanese emperor, historically called the Mikado, reflecting their bold and regal color. |
Mikado
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A deep, elegant blue with slight gray undertones named after the 18th-century French painter Jean-Marc Nattier |
Nattier
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A dark reddish-brown or purplish-brown named for the color of flea blood, from the French word puce meaning “flea.” |
Puce
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A pale, soft blue named after the color of water, historically used in English to describe light blue fabrics and dyes. |
Watchet
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A deep, intense blue named for the pigment obtained by roasting cobalt ore, historically used in glassmaking and painting. |
Zaffre
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A very dark green named from the Latin words ater (black) and virens (green), describing the deep, almost black-green color found in foliage or minerals. |
Atrovirens
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A bright, transparent yellow named for the Latin word aureus, meaning “golden,” reflecting its luminous, golden-yellow appearance in watercolor painting. |
Aureolin
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A pale, creamy off-white named for ivory, derived from the Latin word eburneus, reflecting the color of elephant tusks. |
Eburnean
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A dark, bluish-green named after the Russian general Baron Georg von Skobelev, whose uniform was noted for this distinctive color. |
Skobeloff
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A bright, vivid green named for the gemstone emerald (smaragdus in Latin), reflecting the rich, jewel-like color of the stone. |
Smaragdine
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A dark, brownish-black named for the hardwood of the African Millettia laurentii tree, prized for its dense, richly colored timber. |
Wenge
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A bright, clear blue named for the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli, historically used to produce vivid blue pigments in art and decoration. |
Azure
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A soft, warm orange‑peach named for the ripe flesh of the cantaloupe melon, reflecting its natural summery hue. |
Cantaloupe
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A deep, reddish-purple named after the Spanish wine punch sangría, reflecting the rich, dark color of the drink. |
Sangria
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A pale, pinkish-beige named after the creamy color of bisque porcelain, historically noted for its unglazed, smooth finish. |
Bisque
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A deep, intense blue named for the ground blue-colored cobalt glass historically used as a pigment in painting and ceramics. |
Smalt
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A bright, vivid green with banded variations named for the mineral malachite, prized since antiquity for jewelry, ornaments, and pigment. |
Malachite
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A light, yellowish-brown named for plowed but unplanted agricultural fields, reflecting the pale, dry soil color. |
Fallow
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A bright, vivid pinkish-red named after the lively, flashy style evoked by the word “razzmatazz,” often associated with showy entertainment and energy. |
Razzmatazz
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A muted, gray-green named for the chemical element arsenic, reflecting the pale, slightly greenish color of some of its mineral compounds used historically in pigments. |
Arsenic
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A soft, medium sky blue named after the official emblem of the United Nations, reflecting the color used in its flag and branding. |
United Nations Blue
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A deep, dark reddish-brown named from the Latin for “dead head,” originally describing the residue left in alchemical processes and later used as a pigment in painting. |
Caput Mortuum
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A pale, yellowish color named for the appearance of jaundiced or yellowed birds, derived from the Greek word ikteros, meaning jaundice. |
Icterine
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A reddish-brown or rusty color named for the natural coloration of certain animals, such as birds and mammals, reflecting a warm, earthy tone. |
Rufous
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A bluish-green named for the green patina that forms on copper, brass, or bronze when exposed to air or seawater over time. |
Verdigris
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A deep, vivid blue named for the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli, historically imported from regions beyond the sea for use as a prized pigment in painting. |
Ultramarine
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A warm, golden-orange named for the seeds of the achiote tree (Bixa orellana), traditionally used in Central and South America to dye foods and fabrics. |
Annatto
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A deep, rich purple named for the dye produced from the secretions of the sea snail Murex, historically harvested in the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre. |
Tyrian Purple
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A deep, vivid blue named after Cardinal Mazarin, who was associated with the color in 17th-century France.
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Mazarine
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A neutral, pale gray-beige named as a blend of “gray” and “beige,” describing fabrics or surfaces that are unbleached or natural in tone. |
Greige
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A bright, lemon-yellow named for the color of citrus fruits, especially lemons, reflecting their vibrant, sunny hue. |
Citreous
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A bright, slightly orange-leaning red named after the French word ponceau, meaning “poppy,” inspired by the vivid color of the poppy flower. |
Ponceau
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A soft, muted green with gray undertones named after the Scottish town of Lovat, evoking the subdued colors of its natural landscapes. |
Lovat
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A deep, bluish-green named for the chromium-based pigment historically used in painting and derived from the Latin viridis, meaning “green.” |
Viridian
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A soft purplish-pink or violet named after the flowering plant Heliotropium, whose blooms display this characteristic color. |
Heliotrope
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A very dark brown, nearly black named for the fur of the sable animal, prized historically for luxury garments and trim. |
Sable
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A soft, pale yellow-beige named for the color of ripe wheat, reflecting its warm, natural hue.
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Wheaten
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A rich, deep red named for the scale insect Kermes vermilio, historically harvested in the Mediterranean to produce a vibrant red dye. |
Kermes
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A bright, warm yellow with a hint of orange named for the pigment originally made from the urine of cows fed on mango leaves in India, historically used in painting and textiles. |
Indian Yellow
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A soft, opaque white named for the pigment made from basic lead carbonate, historically used in painting for its opacity and fast-drying properties. |
Lead White
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A bright, yellowish-green named after the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele, who first synthesized this arsenic-based pigment in the 18th century. |
Scheele’s Green
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A soft, bubblegum pink named after the researchers Alexander Schauss and John Baker (also called Baker-Miller) who studied its calming psychological effects in the 1970s. |
Baker-Miller Pink
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A muted, medium blue named for the plant Isatis tinctoria (woad), historically cultivated in Europe to produce blue dye for textiles. |
Woad Blue
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A deep, rich blue named after the traditional East Asian term for blue, commonly used in Chinese and Japanese art and textiles. |
Ao
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A warm, reddish-brown named for the fine clay (bole) used historically as a base layer in gilding and fresco painting. |
Bole
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A dark purplish-red named for the Catawba grape, a variety native to the eastern United States, whose juice reflects this rich hue. |
Catawba
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A warm, reddish-golden brown named after the Venetian painter Titian, renowned for his use of rich red and auburn tones in hair and drapery. |
Titian
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A delicate, pinkish-orange named for the rare sapphire variety padparadscha, whose color resembles a lotus blossom at sunset. |
Padparadscha
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A deep, bright blue named for the blue variety of tourmaline gemstone, reflecting its vivid, gem-like color.
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Indicolite
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A soft, pale purple named for the synthetic dye first discovered by chemist William Henry Perkin in 1856, which was inspired by the mauve flowers. |
Mauveine
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A vivid, purplish-pink named after the lively Spanish dance fandango, reflecting the energetic and flamboyant spirit associated with it. |
Fandango
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A bright, orange-red named after the French word for the reddish-orange color of certain silk fabrics, historically used in fashion and upholstery. |
Nacarat
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A pale, creamy off-white named for the lightly yellowed color of linen or garments, historically associated with a legend about Queen Isabella I of Spain. |
Isabelline
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A deep, rich red named for the dye originally extracted from the madder plant (Rubia tinctorum), historically used in textiles and painting. |
Alizarin
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A bright, transparent reddish-purple named for the synthetic organic pigment family derived from quinacridone compounds, widely used in modern artist paints for its vibrancy and lightfastness. |
Quinacridone
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A soft, pinkish-red named after Thule, the ancient name for a distant northern land, evoking a delicate, northern-tinged rose hue. |
Thulian
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A bright, purplish-pink named after the French word liseré, meaning “border” or “edge,” reflecting its use as a vivid trim or accent color in textiles and design. |
Liseran
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