Ebony

A grayish deep brown like precious ebony wood, revealing a natural grain texture within its steadiness

Black & White Steady Classic Color

HEX#555D50

RGBrgb(85, 93, 80)

HSLhsl(97, 8%, 34%)

HSVhsv(97, 14%, 36%)

CMYKcmyk(9%, 0%, 14%, 64%)

HEXA#555D50FF

RGBArgba(85, 93, 80, 1)

HSLAhsla(97, 8%, 34%, 1)

OKLCHoklch(70.6%, 0.017, 133)

LCHlch(66.1%, 10.3, 175)

🎨 Color Palettes

Analogous2-3 adjacent hues (≤60°)

Triadic3 hues spaced 120° apart

Split ComplementaryMain color + colors adjacent to its complement

Complementary2 hues spaced 180° apart

Tetradic (Rectangle)4 hues forming a rectangle

MonochromaticSingle hue with varying saturation and lightness

♿ WCAG Contrast Colors

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Aa14px Body

High Contrast Text

#FFFFFFRatio 6.8:1AA

Suitable for body text, headings, and primary content, ensuring readability for all users

Aa14px Body

Standard Text

#CBD2CCRatio 4.4:1AA Large

Suitable for regular body content, meeting WCAG AA standards

Aa14px Body

Large Text / UI Components

#A1AFAARatio 3:1AA Large

Suitable for large text (≥18px bold or ≥24px), icons, UI component boundaries

Aa14px Body

Decorative / Dividers

#838A95Ratio 2:1Fail

Suitable for decorative elements, dividers, non-essential text

📊 Color Scales

Online Color Picker → Gradient Generator →

Lightness VariationFixed hue and saturation, proportional lightness scaling 30%→100%

#191C17

#232721

#2D322A

#373D34

#41483D

#4B5346

#555E50

Saturation VariationFixed hue and lightness, proportional saturation scaling 40%→100%

#565954

#565A53

#565B52

#555C51

#555D51

#555E50

Lightness + Saturation Mixed VariationSimultaneous lightness and saturation proportional scaling

#191A19

#232523

#2D302C

#373B35

#41463E

#4B5247

#555E50

Hue Fine-TuningFixed saturation and lightness, stepwise hue fine-tuning ±15°

#595E50

#575E50

#565E50

#555E50

#545E50

#535E50

#525E50

💡 Use Cases

🪑

High-end Furniture

Surface finish for modern Chinese or contemporary minimalist furniture, showcasing the precious texture and calm dignity of wood.

🚗

Car Interiors

Color scheme for leather seats and dashboards in luxury vehicles, creating an interior ambiance that is understated yet luxurious.

📱

Digital Products

Limited edition color options for flagship phones, replacing industrial pure black with a natural depth.

🏠

Interior Walls

Feature wall color for studies or living rooms, creating a calm, focused, and culturally rich spatial atmosphere.

📜 Origin & History

Ebony, also known as 'dark wood' in ancient China, is a semi-carbonized wood formed when trees are buried underground for thousands of years under high pressure and low oxygen. It was a highly precious timber resource.

In traditional Chinese furniture culture, ebony, alongside rosewood and huanghuali, was considered one of the three famous woods. Its calm and restrained color, hard and fine texture made it a favorite material of emperors and nobility since ancient times.

Ming Dynasty's 'Tiangong Kaiwu' detailed ebony harvesting and processing techniques. Ebony furniture, prized for its naturally formed dark grain, was highly esteemed among literati and seen as a symbol of taste and status.

In the 18th century, Europe encountered Eastern ebony through maritime trade, where it quickly became a luxurious material for aristocratic furniture. Ebony color thus became a classic in Western decorative arts.

In modern design, ebony is widely used in interior design, car interiors, and electronics. Its subtle gray-brown tone, situated between black and brown, retains the steadiness of black while adding a touch of natural warmth and texture.

🧠 Color Psychology

Calm and SteadyEbony carries an earth-like sense of weight, not ostentatious or frivolous, providing a feeling of reliability and assurance.

Natural TextureThe brown hue emerging from the gray tones suggests the natural grain of wood, evoking a sense of closeness to natural materials.

Understated LuxuryUnlike stark, cold pure black, ebony conveys a sense of high quality and taste in a more implicit manner.

Time-worn PrecipitateEbony takes millennia to form; this color inherently carries the weight of time and a sense of historical depth.

Restrained ComposureThe gray undertone suppresses expressiveness, representing an aesthetic attitude that possesses character without deliberately flaunting it.

Warm and InclusiveThe brown base provides a moderate warmth, making it more approachable than pure black yet more restrained than pure brown.

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