About Blue Shell
Blue Shell (#9bb3bc) reads as a muted metallic in gold territory, mid-toned in value. In color psychology it reads as prestigious, celebratory, and rich — a neutral presence, and it has a polish suited to premium positioning.
For text on Blue Shell, black performs best at 9.57:1 — passing WCAG AAA. In a palette it suits accent roles.
Contrast Accessibility
With white
2.19:1
With black
9.57:1
Color Conversions
#9bb3bc
rgb(155, 179, 188)
hsl(196°, 20%, 67%)
oklch(0.751 0.029 222.4)
cmyk(1800%, 500%, 0%, 2600%)
Tint & Shade Scale
A 10-step scale from light to dark, anchored to the base color at step 500. Click any swatch to copy its hex.
Tone Scale
Color mixed with gray — reduces saturation without changing lightness. Click any swatch to copy its hex.
Temperature
Hue shifted cooler and warmer in equal steps. Click any swatch to copy its hex.
Color Psychology
Adds: versatility, balance
A neutral, prestigious tone.
Best in small doses to avoid feeling gaudy.
Learn more about color psychology →Palette Narrative
A thoughtfully curated palette evoking celebratory, prestigious, rich. Well-suited for exclusive and luxury brand contexts. A focused selection that communicates intent clearly.
Inspired Palettes
Shades
Lightness variations keeping hue and chroma intact
Monochromatic
Single hue with varied lightness and chroma
Complementary
Opposite hues on the color wheel for maximum contrast
Triadic
Three evenly spaced hues for vibrant balance
Analogous
Neighboring hues for natural, serene combinations
Split Complementary
Complement split into two flanking hues
Generic Gradient
Smooth lightness ramp from dark to light
Matching Gradient
Lightness ramp with a gentle hue drift
Skip Gradient
Alternating light and dark steps for rhythm
9 of 28 palettes from #9bb3bc
Similar Colors
B44 - Light Grey Blue
#9CB3BAdeltaE 0.0RAL 230 70 10 - Ice gull grey blue
#9CB2BAdeltaE 0.0Ice Gull Grey Blue
#9BB2BAdeltaE 0.0Ovation
#9EB2B9deltaE 0.0Early Morning BM-CC-818
#9BB1BBdeltaE 0.018 C 35 - Corvette blue / Pigeon
#99B1BAdeltaE 0.0