Smoky Sapphire Cascade
Smoky Sapphire Cascade: a dark triadic palette of #0D1B05, #122541, #681F2C, #295A29, #4161B4. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 3.05:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on green, blue, red, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.05:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Nightmare#0D1B05
A very dark, muted green (Nightmare) that brings balance and health. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Dark Eclipse#122541
A very dark, muted blue (Dark Eclipse) that brings open, airy calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Bloodlust#681F2C
A dark, moderately saturated red (Bloodlust) that brings appetite and urgency. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Pine#295A29
A dark, moderately saturated green (Pine) that brings balance and health. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Matt Blue#4161B4
A medium, moderately saturated blue (Matt Blue) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.85:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.59:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly90% 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 | #0D1B05 | 20% |
| ≈ Ink | Surface | #122541 | 26% |
| ≈ Wine | Primary | #681F2C | 36% |
| ≈ Pine | Accent | #295A29 | 42% |
| ≈ Sapphire | Text | #4161B4 | 51% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #ECF2FE for text.
:root {
--color-background: #0d1b05;
--color-surface: #122541;
--color-primary: #681f2c;
--color-accent: #295a29;
--color-text: #ecf2fe;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #0d1b05;
--color-surface: #122541;
--color-primary: #681f2c;
--color-accent: #295a29;
--color-ink: #ecf2fe;
}
About this palette
Smoky Sapphire Cascade is palette number 987 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a triadic scheme, and it is anchored by Sapphire (#4161B4), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Sapphire (#4161B4) at the light end to Ink (#0D1B05) at the dark end, covering 20% to 51% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ink #0D1B05: suggested role background. It is a green color with 20% lightness and a chroma of 0.046.
2. ≈ Ink #122541: suggested role surface. It is a blue color with 26% lightness and a chroma of 0.058.
3. ≈ Wine #681F2C: suggested role primary. It is a rose color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.104.
4. ≈ Pine #295A29: suggested role accent. It is a green color with 42% lightness and a chroma of 0.094.
5. ≈ Sapphire #4161B4: suggested role text. It is a blue color with 51% lightness and a chroma of 0.136.
Harmony and structure
Three hues are spaced about a third of the wheel apart. Triadic palettes feel balanced and playful, because no single hue family dominates.
In this palette the hues fall in the green, blue and rose families, spread across 252 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 temperature-balanced: 1 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 2 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.088 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 deep, dramatic and immersive.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Ink (#0D1B05) with Sapphire (#4161B4) at a contrast ratio of 3.05:1, 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 (#0D1B05), so this page suggests #ECF2FE for text, a lightened Sapphire that reaches 15.89:1. 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: #0D1B05 as the background, #122541 for cards and surfaces, #681F2C as the primary brand color, #295A29 as the accent, and #ECF2FE for text (a computed lighter shade of Sapphire, because no palette color is readable on that background). A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Choose one hue to dominate, one to support and one for small accents, so the palette stays lively without becoming chaotic.
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 Cascade accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.05:1 (#0D1B05 on #4161B4). 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?
Wine (#681F2C) 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 deep, dramatic and immersive feel works well.