Smoky Sapphire Aurora
Smoky Sapphire Aurora: a dark tetradic palette of #380011, #2B2501, #004844, #464094, #9D541B. Moody, intimate and rich; best contrast 3.16:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on red, brown, teal, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.16:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Nether#380011
A very dark, moderately saturated red (Nether) that brings appetite and urgency. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Secret Passage#2B2501
A very dark, muted brown (Secret Passage) that brings craft and reliability. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Tropical Forest#004844
A dark, muted teal (Tropical Forest) that brings a coastal freshness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Blueberry#464094
A dark, moderately saturated purple (Blueberry) that brings a creative, premium air. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Panela#9D541B
A medium, moderately saturated brown (Panela) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.85:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.71:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly91% similarExcellent 5/5
Contrast is the best any color in the palette reaches on a plain white or black background. Color blind friendly shows how much of the difference between the colors is kept under the common kinds of color blindness.
| Color | Role | HEX | Lightness |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Ink | Background | #380011 | 22% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Accent | #2B2501 | 26% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Surface | #004844 | 36% |
| ≈ Sapphire | Primary | #464094 | 42% |
| ≈ Rust | Text | #9D541B | 52% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FEEEE5 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #380011;
--color-surface: #004844;
--color-primary: #464094;
--color-accent: #2b2501;
--color-text: #feeee5;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #380011;
--color-surface: #004844;
--color-primary: #464094;
--color-accent: #2b2501;
--color-ink: #feeee5;
}
About this palette
Smoky Sapphire Aurora is palette number 5,139 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a tetradic scheme, and it is anchored by Sapphire (#464094), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as moody, intimate and rich. Its colors run from Rust (#9D541B) at the light end to Ink (#380011) at the dark end, covering 22% to 52% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ink #380011: suggested role background. It is a rose color with 22% lightness and a chroma of 0.087.
2. ≈ Charcoal #2B2501: suggested role accent. It is a yellow color with 26% lightness and a chroma of 0.053.
3. ≈ Charcoal #004844: suggested role surface. It is a teal color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.063.
4. ≈ Sapphire #464094: suggested role primary. It is a violet color with 42% lightness and a chroma of 0.134.
5. ≈ Rust #9D541B: suggested role text. It is a orange color with 52% lightness and a chroma of 0.118.
Harmony and structure
Four hues are spaced around the wheel in two complementary pairs. It is the richest scheme, and the hardest to balance.
In this palette the hues fall in the rose, yellow, teal, violet and orange families, spread across 273 degrees of the OKLCH hue circle. Dark palettes keep chroma between 0.04 and 0.14, and lightness between 20% and 52%, which is why the set feels consistent.
Temperature and mood
Overall the palette is warm: 3 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 1 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.091 makes the saturation balanced.
That combination suits dark-mode interfaces, gaming and music apps and luxury packaging, and it is a good fit when you want a design to feel moody, intimate and rich.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Ink (#380011) with Rust (#9D541B) at a contrast ratio of 3.16:1, which is WCAG AA large. Across all 10 possible pairs, 0 reach the 4.5:1 AA level for normal text and 1 more reach 3:1 for large text.
No other palette color reaches 4.5:1 on the background (#380011), so this page suggests #FEEEE5 for text, a lightened Rust that reaches 15.79:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
All five colors stay distinguishable under protanopia, deuteranopia and tritanopia simulations, which is a good sign, although it is no substitute for testing with real users.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #380011 as the background, #004844 for cards and surfaces, #464094 as the primary brand color, #2B2501 as the accent, and #FEEEE5 for text (a computed lighter shade of Rust, because no palette color is readable on that background). A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Let one hue take most of the space and use the others sparingly. Control the mood with lightness and saturation rather than hue.
Typical uses for a dark palette include dark-mode interfaces, gaming and music apps, luxury packaging and cinematic presentations. Open it in the generator to lock the colors you love and reroll the rest, or in the visualizer to see it on real layouts.
More palettes like this
Frequently asked questions
Is Smoky Sapphire Aurora accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.16:1 (#380011 on #9D541B). 0 of 10 pairs reach WCAG AA for normal text. Always check the exact text and background you use.
Which color should be the main brand color?
Sapphire (#464094) is the most saturated color that is neither the lightest nor the darkest, which makes it the natural primary.
What is this palette good for?
It suits dark-mode interfaces, gaming and music apps, luxury packaging and cinematic presentations, where a moody, intimate and rich feel works well.