Gold color guide
The brightest usable yellow, carrying value and achievement by association. It fails contrast against white almost universally, so it needs a dark ground.
- Best for
- Accents and highlights on dark surfaces.
Accessibility
Ratios follow WCAG 2.1. AA needs 4.5:1 for body text, AAA needs 7:1; large text passes AA at 3:1.
Colors that go with gold
Combinations that hold up in a real layout rather than only on the colour wheel.
Gold color harmonies
Gold shades and tints
The same hue and saturation across ten lightness steps — the basis of a usable colour ramp in a design system.
Gold FAQ
What is the hex code for gold?
Gold is #FFD700. In other formats that is rgb(255, 215, 0), hsl(51, 100%, 50%), and approximately cmyk(0%, 16%, 100%, 0%) for print.
What colors go with gold?
Navy Blue, Charcoal, Burgundy all pair well with gold. Accents and highlights on dark surfaces.
Is gold accessible for text?
Not on white: gold reaches only 1.4:1 there, below the 4.5:1 WCAG AA threshold. Use it as a background with black text on top, or reserve it for large display type.
Should text on gold be black or white?
Use black text. It gives the higher contrast ratio of the two against #FFD700.