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Aqua 28 / 45 Blues Aquamarine
#40E0D0
Blue family

Turquoise

Also known as: serene · refreshing · vibrant · exotic · tranquil
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Hex #40E0D0
RGB rgb(64, 224, 208)
HSL hsl(174°, 72%, 56%)
CMYK 71 · 0 · 7 · 12
CSS turquoise

Meaning

In Western cultures, turquoise is often associated with protection and healing, while in indigenous cultures of the Americas, it has been revered as a sacred stone, representing life and renewal. Contrastingly, in some Eastern traditions, it can symbolize wealth and prosperity.

The term 'turquoise' originated from the French word for 'Turkish', as the stone was first brought to Europe from Turkey in the 17th century. The gem itself has been used for thousands of years, with ancient Egyptians adorning tombs with turquoise artifacts around 3000 BC.

serenerefreshingvibrantexotictranquil

The story of Turquoise

Where the name and the color come from.

Turquoise is named after the gemstone, and the gemstone is named after a place — sort of. The word comes from the Old French pierre turquoise, "Turkish stone," because the prized blue-green mineral reached medieval Europe through Turkish trade routes (though it was mined in Persia and the Sinai).

The color is the gem's bright, slightly green-leaning blue. Vivid and saturated, it reads as tropical and energetic where its cousin teal reads as deep and sophisticated.

Where you'll see Turquoise

The places, brands and moments that shaped this color.

Southwestern and Native American jewelry

Turquoise set in silver is iconic to Navajo, Zuni and Pueblo craftsmanship, and central to the Southwestern aesthetic.

Ancient Egypt and Persia

Turquoise adorned pharaohs' funerary masks and Persian domes for millennia, long prized as a protective stone.

Tropical seas

The color is synonymous with shallow Caribbean and Pacific water — shorthand for paradise in travel branding.

Using Turquoise in design

How it behaves in interiors, fashion and branding.

Turquoise brings vibrant, coastal, bohemian energy. In interiors it shows up in Southwestern and Mediterranean schemes — tiles, pottery, textiles — typically warmed by terracotta, wood and woven natural fibers.

In fashion and branding it signals fun, escape and creativity, which is why travel, beauty and lifestyle brands reach for it.

What pairs with Turquoise

Curated combinations — and exactly why each one works.

Turquoise + Coral

The signature beachy pairing: warm coral against cool turquoise is vivid and instantly summery.

Turquoise + White

Crisp white makes turquoise pop and gives it a clean, coastal, Greek-island feel.

Turquoise + Tan

Sandy tan and turquoise echo sea-and-shore — grounding the bright blue in warm neutral.

Turquoise + Gold

Gold flatters turquoise the way silver does in jewelry, adding warmth and a touch of opulence.

Similar colors

Ranked by CIE76 ΔE — the perceptual distance from Turquoise. Lower ΔE means a closer match (below ~2 is barely distinguishable).

All 45 Blues →

Jungle Green

#29AB87 · ΔE 22.5

Powder Blue

#B0E0E6 · ΔE 30.6

Shades & tints

Nine steps of Turquoise by lightness — from #21746C (darkest) to #9CEFE7 (lightest). Click any to copy.

-40% #21746C
-30% #298F85
-20% #31AA9E
-10% #38C5B7
BASE #40E0D0
+15% #57E4D6
+30% #6EE7DB
+50% #85EBE1
+70% #9CEFE7

Complementary

Sitting opposite Turquoise at 354° on the color wheel, these give the highest-contrast pairings.

Ruby

#9B111E

Candy Pink

#E4717A

Wine

#722F37

Lava

#CF1020

Palettes

Curated 5-color combinations featuring Turquoise.

#40E0D0
#FF7F50
#F5F5F5
#FFD700
#8A2BE2

Ocean Breeze

Calm Escape
#40E0D0
#C0C0C0
#2C2C2C
#FF6347
#3CB371

Desert Oasis

Warm Retreat
#40E0D0
#FFFFFF
#888888
#FFA500
#6A5ACD

Tropical Paradise

Vibrant Escape

Used by

Brands and institutions known for using Turquoise.

Tiffany & Co.T-Mobile

Turquoise scale

A 50–900 tonal scale with Turquoise anchored at 500 — ready to drop into a design system. Click any step to copy.

50 #F0FDFB
100 #DDF9F7
200 #B6F3ED
300 #90EDE4
400 #68E7DA
500 #40E0D0
600 #34B8AB
700 #2A9489
800 #207068
900 #164C47

Accessibility

Works well as text on dark backgrounds; fails on light.

Aa Best text color: #000000 · 12.79:1
Turquoise as text on… Ratio AA AAA
Aa White background 1.64:1 Fail Fail
Aa Black background 12.79:1 Pass Pass

Thresholds: AA needs 4.5:1 (normal text) / 3:1 (large); AAA needs 7:1 / 4.5:1. Large = 18pt+ or 14pt+ bold.

How to use #40E0D0

Copy-ready values for CSS, screen and print, plus the extra conversions designers reach for.

CSS color: turquoise;
CSS color-mix (lighten 30%) color-mix(in srgb, turquoise 70%, white)
HSV / HSB 174°, 71%, 88%
CMYK (print) 71, 0, 7, 12
Decimal 4251856
Nearest web-safe #33CCCC

Color vision

How Turquoise appears to viewers with the three main types of color blindness (~1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women). Simulated approximations.

Normal vision

#40E0D0

Protanopia (no red)

#8587D4

Deuteranopia (no green)

#7C70D5

Tritanopia (no blue)

#48D7D8

Turquoise FAQ

Quick answers to the questions people ask about Turquoise.

What is the difference between turquoise and teal?

Turquoise is brighter, lighter and a little greener — the color of the gemstone and tropical water. Teal is darker, more muted and more sophisticated. Think turquoise = vivid and playful, teal = deep and refined.

Is turquoise blue or green?

It is a blue-green that usually leans blue, but with enough green to feel distinct from sky or royal blue. Its exact lean varies between the more-blue "robin's egg" turquoises and greener variants.

What colors go with turquoise?

Coral and orange for a beachy complementary pop, white for crisp contrast, sandy tan and brown for an earthy Southwestern look, and gold for warmth and richness.

Aqua 28 / 45 Blues Aquamarine
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