RAL and NCS values are nearest equivalents, not official designations.
In Western cultures, ruby represents love and passion, often used in romantic contexts such as engagements and anniversaries. Conversely, in some Eastern traditions, it symbolizes protection and prosperity, highlighting its dual significance across different cultures.
The term 'ruby' is derived from the Latin word 'ruber', meaning 'red'. Notably, during the 14th century, rubies were considered more valuable than diamonds, coveted by royalty and believed to possess protective powers, especially in battle.
Ranked by CIE76 ΔE — the perceptual distance from Ruby. Lower ΔE means a closer match (below ~2 is barely distinguishable).
All 33 Reds →Nine steps of Ruby by lightness — from #510910 (darkest) to #CB838A (lightest). Click any to copy.
Sitting opposite Ruby at 174° on the color wheel, these give the highest-contrast pairings.
Curated 5-color combinations featuring Ruby.
A 50–900 tonal scale with Ruby anchored at 500 — ready to drop into a design system. Click any step to copy.
Works well as text on light backgrounds; fails on dark.
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: #9B111E; color-mix(in srgb, #9B111E 70%, white) 354°, 89%, 61% 0, 89, 81, 39 10162462 #990033 How Ruby appears to viewers with the three main types of color blindness (~1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women). Simulated approximations.