In Western cultures, apricot symbolizes warmth, positivity, and comfort, often seen in designs that aim to create inviting atmospheres. In contrast, in some Asian cultures, it can represent the fleeting nature of beauty and life, tied to the transient bloom of flowers.
The term 'apricot' comes from the Latin 'praecoquum', meaning 'early ripening', reflecting its seasonal significance. This color became popular in the 18th century, particularly in fashion, as it was embraced by figures like Marie Antoinette, who favored soft, pastel shades.
Ranked by CIE76 ΔE — the perceptual distance from Apricot. Lower ΔE means a closer match (below ~2 is barely distinguishable).
All 27 Oranges →Nine steps of Apricot by lightness — from #836B5C (darkest) to #FDE6D6 (lightest). Click any to copy.
Sitting opposite Apricot at 204° on the color wheel, these give the highest-contrast pairings.
Curated 5-color combinations featuring Apricot.
A 50–900 tonal scale with Apricot anchored at 500 — ready to drop into a design system. Click any step to copy.
Works well as text on dark backgrounds; fails on light.
Thresholds: AA needs 4.5:1 (normal text) / 3:1 (large); AAA needs 7:1 / 4.5:1. Large = 18pt+ or 14pt+ bold.
Copy-ready values for CSS, screen and print, plus the extra conversions designers reach for.
color: #FBCEB1; color-mix(in srgb, #FBCEB1 70%, white) 24°, 29%, 98% 0, 18, 29, 2 16502449 #FFCC99 How Apricot appears to viewers with the three main types of color blindness (~1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women). Simulated approximations.