Going for the gold hex codes?
Great! Gold can impart a touch of luxury to your designs.
Or add some bright, cheerful color that’s a little less in-your-face than yellow.
Gold provides a bold, energetic contrast to rich colors like burgundy or deep blue – a combo favored by sports teams.
But you’ve got to get the right gold! Take your pick from 40 here.
Let’s go for gold now!
What Color is Metallic Gold?
Metallic gold is considered a shade of yellow. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the color metallic gold is “A light olive-brown to dark yellow, or a moderate, strong to vivid yellow.”
Did you know that olive brown is a shade of yellow? In pigments, a shade is a color with black added. You can mix olive paint from yellow and black paint.
True gold is, of course, a metal, and is usually polished to a shine. Thus it has highlights and lowlights. So you’ll find all tints and shades of gold here!
Jump to bright gold hex codes.
Jump to muted gold hex codes.
Jump to dark gold hex codes.
Jump to light gold hex codes.
What is the Hex Code for Metallic Gold?
Gold (Metallic) is a color in the RGB color system. The hexadecimal code for the color Gold (Metallic) is #D4AF37.
| Gold (Metallic) Color Swatch |
The closest web safe hex color is #CC9933.
| Web-Safe Gold Color Swatch |
You can specify Gold (Metallic) in RGB values as 212, 175, 55.
For CMYK printing, you can call out 0, 17, 74, 17. Or speak to your printer about using a fifth color, a metallic gold ink – one that actually shimmers.
The closest Pantone® non-metallic ink is 7752 C.
If you’re printing Christmas cards from a template, that seriously metallic type you see is foil stamping. This would be quite expensive to print from an original design.
Bright Gold Hex Codes
Here are your bright, sunny golds that are closest to true yellow.
Further on, we’ll look at muted golds, dark golds, and light golds.
Gold Color Codes
Let’s start with the one named simply “Gold.” Gold is a warm, bold yellow hue. I’ll describe the others in this section based on how they relate to this one.
Gold’s hex number is #ffd700 and its RGB is 255, 215, 0. In CMYK colors it is 0, 16, 100, 0.
| Gold Color Swatch |
Mustard Color Codes
Mustard is a hair lighter than “Gold.”
HEX #ffdb58 | rgb(255,219,88)
| Mustard Color Swatch |
Golden Yellow Color Codes
Golden Yellow is a bit more yellow than “Gold.”
HEX #ffdf00 | rgb(255,223,0)
| Golden Yellow Color Swatch |
Cyber Yellow Color Codes
Cyber Yellow’s very close to “Gold.”
HEX #ffd300 | rgb(255,211,0)
| Cyber Yellow Color Swatch |
USC Gold Color Codes
USC Gold is slightly warmer than “Gold.”
HEX #ffcc00 | rgb(255,204,0)
| USC Gold Color Swatch |
Sunglow Color Codes
Sunglow is ever so slightly toned down.
HEX #ffcc33 | rgb(255,204,51)
| Sunglow Color Swatch |
Golden Poppy Color Codes
Golden Poppy has a bit more orange added.
HEX #fcc200 | rgb(252,194,0)
| Golden Poppy Color Swatch |
Sandstorm Color Codes
Sandstorm is a greenish bright gold that works perfectly with the muted tones Old Gold, Vegas Gold, and Brass.
HEX #ecd540 | rgb(236,213,64)
If you need more choices in this vein, check out the page of yellow hex codes.
| Sandstorm Color Swatch |
Muted Gold Hex Codes
These are tones of gold with some gray added to “tone them down.” These colors provide a rich gold worthy of the name.
A tone of a color is literally the color with gray added. Some here will be more orange or greenish, brighter or less so, depending on the exact hexadecimal numbers.
Gold (Metallic) Color Codes
We dove into this one in the intro. Its hex is D4AF37 and RGB is 212, 175, 55.
| Gold (Metallic) Color Swatch |
American Gold Color Codes
A bit brighter is American Gold. Its hex number is #D3AF37, rgb(211, 175, 55).
| American Gold Color Swatch |
Lemon Curry Color Codes
Yum yum. Lemon Curry sounds delicious!
HEX #cca01d | rgb(204,160,29)
| Lemon Curry Color Swatch |
Satin Sheen Gold Color Codes
Satin Sheen Gold is a bit richer than Gold (Metallic).
HEX #cba135 | rgb(203,161,53)
| Satin Sheen Gold Color Swatch |
Old Gold Color Codes
Old Gold has a very slight green cast.
HEX #cfb53b | RGB (207,181,59)
| Old Gold Color Swatch |
Vegas Gold Color Codes
Vegas ups the green a bit.
HEX #c5b358 | RGB (197,179,88)
| Vegas Gold Color Swatch |
Brass Color Codes
Noticeably bumping up the green tint is Brass. Its hex code is #b5a642, and in RGB values it is 181, 166, 66.
| Brass Color Swatch |
Saffron Color Codes
Here’s the brightest one in this group, just an iota off bright. Saffron is #f4c430 in hex and 244, 196, 48 in RGB.
| Saffron Color Swatch |
Meat Brown Color Codes
Meat Brown is an odd name – I wouldn’t want to eat any meat in this color! But it’s great for gold. Call out #e5b73b in hex, or rgb(229,183,59).
| Meat Brown Color Swatch |
Rape-Blossom Brown Color Codes
Rape-Blossom Brown alludes to the flowers of the plant that gives us canola oil. The shade is one small step down from Meat Brown.
HEX #e3b130 | rgb(227, 177, 48).
| Rape-Blossom Brown Color Swatch |
Urobilin Color Codes
One more step to Urobilin.
HEX #e1ad21 | rgb(225,173,33)
| Urobilin Color Swatch |
Goldenrod Color Codes
Goldenrod is a bit more intense.
HEX #daa520 | rgb(218,165,32)
| Goldenrod Color Swatch |
Harvest Gold Color Codes
Rounding out this group is Harvest Gold, with a decidedly orange flair.
HEX #da9100 | rgb(218,145,0)
Dark golds are next, or see more orange hex codes.
| Harvest Gold Color Swatch |
Dark Gold Hex Codes
These are shades of gold with some black added. Some you may not think of as gold, but more of a golden brown. Remember that gold metal jewelry will have many of these tints, tones, and shades though!
Once again, some gold shades below will be more orange or greenish, more or less muted, depending on the specs. The photo below shows warm, orange-toned golds in light, medium, and dark shades.
University Of California Gold Color Codes
University Of California Gold is a warm, mid-brown gold.
HEX #b78727 | rgb(183,135,39)
| University Of California Gold Color Swatch |
Dark Goldenrod Color Codes
Dark Goldenrod is quite similar to UC Gold.
HEX #b8860b | rgb(184,134,11)
| Dark Goldenrod Color Swatch |
Banner Gold Color Codes
Banner Gold has a pink tone.
HEX #a28557 | rgb(162,133,87)
| Banner Gold Color Swatch |
Dark Gold Color Codes
Dark Gold stays true to a yellow-plus-black based gold tone.
HEX #B59410 | rgb(181, 148, 16)
| Dark Gold Color Swatch |
Dark Yellow Color Codes
Try Dark Yellow if you want a greenish gold.
HEX #9b870c | rgb(155,135,12)
| Dark Yellow Color Swatch |
Metallic Sunburst Color Codes
Metallic Sunburst is an evocative name as well as a lovely color.
HEX #9c7c38 | rgb(156,124,56)
| Metallic Sunburst Color Swatch |
Gold Fusion Color Codes
Gold Fusion seems more of a taupe to me than the one below it, named Sandy Taupe!
HEX #85754e | rgb(133,117,78)
| Gold Fusion Color Swatch |
Sandy Taupe Color Codes
Sandy Taupe has more of a yellow-orange undertone than I associate with either of the colors Sand or Taupe! But I don’t name these 😉
HEX #967117 | rgb(150,113,23)
| Sandy Taupe Color Swatch |
Golden Brown Color Codes
Golden Brown would be great dark gold to accentuate Harvest Gold.
HEX #996515 | rgb(153,101,21)
And there are lots more brown hex codes to choose from.
| Golden Brown Color Swatch |
Light Gold Hex Codes
These are tints of gold with white added. These are your gold highlight colors.
If you’re combining with brights, tones, or shades, match the undertone in pink, orange, yellow, or green tone for best effect.
The photo below has pink-undertoned, coppery golds, like dark Banner Gold above and light Pale Gold below.
Light Goldenrod Yellow Color Codes
For your lightest highlights, try Light Goldenrod Yellow.
HEX #fafad2 | rgb(250,250,210)
Or you can find more off-white hex codes.
| Light Goldenrod Yellow Color Swatch |
Pale Goldenrod Color Codes
A bit deeper and cooler is Pale Goldenrod.
HEX #eee8aa | rgb(238,232,170)
| Pale Goldenrod Color Swatch |
Flavescent Color Codes
Flavescent is a clear yellow highlight color.
HEX #f7e98e | rgb(247,233,142)
| Flavescent Color Swatch |
Khaki Color Codes
Khaki is an odd name for this slightly muted light yellow. But the color works for our light gold tints!
HEX #f0e68c | rgb(240,230,140)
| Khaki Color Swatch |
Flax Color Codes
The color Flax is a bit deeper.
HEX #eedc82 | rgb(238,220,130)
| Flax Color Swatch |
Buff Color Codes
Buff is a nice chamois color.
HEX #f0dc82 | rgb(240,220,130)
| Buff Color Swatch |
Mellow Yellow Color Codes
Mellow Yellow is mellowed with a touch or orange.
HEX #f8de7e | rgb(248,222,126)
| Mellow Yellow Color Swatch |
Straw Color Codes
Leaning to green is Straw.
HEX #e4d96f | rgb(228,217,111)
| Straw Color Swatch |
Hansa Yellow Color Codes
In 1911, German chemists developed the bright lemon yellow pigment we call Hansa Yellow. “Hansa” was derived from a medieval trade group name, and was probably used to make it seem like an established, high-quality pigment.
HEX #e9d66b | rgb(233,214,107)
| Hansa Yellow Color Swatch |
Pale Gold Color Codes
Pale Gold would be an awesome highlight to Banner Gold, as both have a pink undertone.
HEX #e6be8a | rgb(230,190,138)
| Pale Gold Color Swatch |
Going for Gold
Now you’re armed with all the gold hex numbers and RGB values. Which golds will you go for?
To pick the right color to combine with gold, check out color meanings.
For a deep dive into color, you might also enjoy:
What your favorite color says about you
Why understanding color is important
Complete guide to the color wheel
Or check this page for an index to all the hex codes for colors!
Julie says
What a fantastic article! You put a lot of work into this and I appreciate it. I’m not sure how I can use this but I do love color theory. Thanks again
Louise Myers says
Wonderful! Thanks so much for checking it out.