Dazzling Sphalerite
Dazzling Sphalerite (#A0BD3D) is a true yellow with an earthy character. It leans grounded and natural, the kind of color that plays well with wood, clay, linen, and warm neutrals. Its HSL profile (74°, 51%, 49%) places it in the balanced band at a mid lightness. It works across type, buttons, and borders, saturated enough to feel deliberate but balanced enough to not fight the rest of the palette. For a confident two-color system, pair it with its complementary indigo. For something softer, pull in its analogous neighbors on either side of the wheel.
Etymology
The progressive participle of dazzle, to overwhelm with brightness — used as a color word since the seventeenth century for hues that read as intense enough to be momentarily blinding. Dazzling white, dazzling pink: the implication is luminance pushed to the extreme. Sits at the bright-bucket extreme alongside electric.
A zinc sulfide mineral — both an important zinc ore and a high-dispersion gem with adamantine luster. The yellow variety is mined principally in Spain and Mexico. The color refers to a faceted yellow Spanish sphalerite: a saturated, slightly cool yellow-orange with the gem's signature internal fire (higher dispersion than diamond).
Closest matches
The nearest named color in three reference sources, ranked by perceptual distance (ΔE76 in CIELAB). ΔE < 1 is imperceptible to most viewers; ΔE > 10 is clearly different. When two sources point to the same hex they’re merged into one tile; click any to open that color’s page.
Variations
Click any swatch to exploreHarmonies
Accessibility
How this color appears to viewers with the four major color-vision-deficiency types. Computed via the Machado (2009) physiologically-based model. If a tile matches the original, the color reads the same to that viewer.
The color used as foreground text against pure white and pure black, with the contrast ratio and WCAG 2.1 grade. Aim for AA (4.5:1) for body text and AA Large (3:1) for 18 pt+ headlines; AAA (7:1) is the gold standard for long-form reading surfaces.