Purple color · XKCD survey name
Amethyst Color Code: #9B5FC0
Amethyst is a medium, soft violet color with the hexadecimal value #9B5FC0. In RGB it is 155, 95, 192 and in HSL it is 277°, 43%, 56%. Black text reads best on it (4.79:1 contrast).
Amethyst color values
#9B5FC0
rgb(155, 95, 192)
hsl(277, 43%, 56%)
277, 51%, 75%
hwb(277 37% 25%)
19%, 51%, 0%, 25%
10182592
CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.
What is Amethyst?
“Amethyst” is a crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey, in which participants typed names for colors they were shown. It is a popular everyday label rather than an official standard.
Its hue angle of 277° places it in the violet part of the color wheel, with 43% saturation (soft) and 56% lightness (medium). It sits between warm and cool.
Compared with the other purple colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 57% of them and more saturated than 22% of them.
Its relative luminance is 0.190, which makes it a mid-tone color. That is above the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so black text has the advantage.
Amethyst counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 56% and its relative luminance is 0.190. Black text reads best on it (4.79:1 contrast).
Text contrast on Amethyst
| Text | Preview | Ratio | AA normal | AA large | AAA normal | AAA large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text | Sample text | 4.38:1 Limited | Fail | Pass | Fail | Fail |
| Black text | Sample text | 4.79:1 Good | Pass | Pass | Fail | Pass |
Ratios use the WCAG 2 formula and are truncated, never rounded up. Test any pair with the contrast checker.
Colors that go with Amethyst
Complementary color
Complementary colors sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel (180° apart). They give the strongest hue contrast, which suits calls to action and accents.
Analogous colors
Analogous colors are neighbors on the wheel, 30° either side of the base hue. They blend smoothly and are easy to combine in backgrounds, gradients and illustrations.
Triadic colors
A triadic scheme uses three hues spaced 120° apart. It is lively yet balanced, and works best when one color leads and the other two act as accents.
Split-complementary colors
Split-complementary keeps the base color and uses the two colors on either side of its complement (150° and 210°). The contrast is strong but gentler than a direct complement.
Tetradic colors
A tetradic (rectangle) scheme combines two complementary pairs at 0°, 60°, 180° and 240°. It offers variety but needs one dominant color to stay balanced.
Monochromatic variants
Monochromatic variants keep the same hue and saturation and only change lightness, which makes them dependable for UI scales and subtle layered designs.
A “≈” before a name means the exact harmony color has no named match, so the link goes to the closest named color.
Tints and shades of Amethyst
Lighter tints (mixed with white)
Darker shades (mixed with black)
Select any swatch to copy its HEX code. Build longer scales with the tints and shades tool.
Similar colors
Where to use Amethyst
- Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (4.79:1 contrast with black)
- Large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough
- Tags, badges and highlights
- Creative and entertainment branding
- Premium-feeling accents and gradients
- Illustrations and hero sections
Use Amethyst in CSS
:root {
--color-amethyst: #9B5FC0;
}
.element {
color: var(--color-amethyst);
background-color: #9B5FC0;
border: 2px solid #9B5FC0;
}Questions about Amethyst
What is the HEX code for Amethyst?
Amethyst is #9B5FC0.
What is the RGB value of Amethyst?
The RGB value of Amethyst is 155, 95, 192: 155 red, 95 green and 192 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(155, 95, 192) in CSS.
What is the HSL value of Amethyst?
The HSL value of Amethyst is 277°, 43%, 56% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(277, 43%, 56%) in CSS.
What is the CMYK value of Amethyst?
A standard conversion gives about C 19%, M 51%, Y 0%, K 25%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.
Is Amethyst a light or dark color?
Amethyst counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 56% and its relative luminance is 0.190. Black text reads best on it (4.79:1 contrast).
How does Amethyst look with white text?
White text on Amethyst has a contrast ratio of 4.38:1, rated Limited. It does not reach WCAG AA for normal text; use large text only.
How does Amethyst look with black text?
Black text on Amethyst has a contrast ratio of 4.79:1, rated Good. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.
What colors go well with Amethyst?
Turtle Green is its complementary color, and Iris sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.
Where can Amethyst be used?
It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (4.79:1 contrast with black); large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough; tags, badges and highlights.
How do I use Amethyst in CSS?
Use color: #9B5FC0; for text, background-color: #9B5FC0; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-amethyst: #9B5FC0; and reuse it with var(--color-amethyst).
About this color page
Crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey (CC0). Values are calculated from the HEX code; color names are labels, not trademarks or standards unless stated. Screens render colors differently, so always check important colors on your own device. See the disclaimer.