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Showy Pyrite

#e6992c
Notes

Showy Pyrite (#E6992C) is a true amber with a vibrant character. It holds its own as a focal accent, carrying visual weight without tipping into neon territory. Its HSL profile (35°, 79%, 54%) places it in the highly saturated band at a mid lightness. Best used in small doses, like logos, CTAs, focus rings, or highlight text, where its saturation becomes a feature rather than noise. For a confident two-color system, pair it with its complementary azure. For something softer, pull in its analogous neighbors on either side of the wheel.

HEX
#e6992c
RGB
rgb(230, 153, 44)
HSL
hsl(35, 79%, 54%)
HWB
hwb(35 17% 10%)
OKLCH
oklch(74.3% 0.147 70.0)
HSV
hsv(35, 81%, 90%)
LAB
lab(69.32% 20.44 64.33)
LCH
lch(69.32% 67.49 72.37)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 33%, 81%, 10%)

Etymology

Showy
adjective

Old English scēawian, to look at — adjectival suffix -y. As a color modifier, showy implies a saturated-and-attention-grabbing quality, the bright color of Las-Vegas-and-Broadway neon-and-marquee theatrical-display lighting. Sits at the bright-and-flamboyant end of the grid, parallel to flamboyant and splashy in usage.

Pyrite
noun

An iron sulfide mineral — fool's gold — whose brassy yellow metallic luster has fooled prospectors since the California Gold Rush. Mined principally in Spain (Rio Tinto), Peru, and Italy. The color refers to a polished pyrite cube: a saturated, slightly cool deep gold with the metallic finish of crystallized iron sulfide.

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 explore

Harmonies

Accessibility

Color-vision simulation

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.

#e6992c
Original
#b39e16
Protanopia
#c5b12f
Deuteranopia
#fb8684
Tritanopia
#a2a2a2
Achromatopsia
WCAG contrast

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.

The quick brown foxSample body text at normal size. The wcag minimum for body contrast is 4.5:1 (AA) or 7:1 (AAA).
Failon White
2.34:1
The quick brown foxSample body text at normal size. The wcag minimum for body contrast is 4.5:1 (AA) or 7:1 (AAA).
AAAon Black
8.96:1

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