Emerald Green Color Palette
Emerald Green is hex #50C878, rgb(80, 200, 120). Emerald is a bright, jewel-toned green with a hint of blue, named after the gemstone. It feels luxurious and lively at the same time.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Emerald Green color codes
Reading the emerald green color codes
The hex code #50C878 is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. 50 is 80, C8 is 200 and 78 is 120, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(80, 200, 120) in CSS. The green channel is the strongest here, which is what gives emerald green its green character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 140 degrees places emerald green in the green part of the color wheel. Saturation of 52% makes it moderately saturated, and lightness of 55% makes it a mid-tone color. HSL is the easiest format to adjust by hand: keep the hue, then raise or lower lightness to create tints and shades that stay in the same family.
For print, the approximate CMYK mix is 60% cyan, 0% magenta, 40% yellow and 22% black. Screen and print colors never match perfectly, because monitors emit light while ink absorbs it, so always proof a printed sample before committing to emerald green for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Emerald Green shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #50C878, so you can use emerald green for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"emerald-green": {
50: "#DCF4E4",
100: "#C0EBCE",
200: "#A4E2B9",
300: "#88DAA3",
400: "#6CD18E",
500: "#50C878",
600: "#45AD68",
700: "#3A9257",
800: "#2E7747",
900: "#235B36",
950: "#184026",
},
},
},
}:root {
--emerald-green-50: #DCF4E4;
--emerald-green-100: #C0EBCE;
--emerald-green-200: #A4E2B9;
--emerald-green-300: #88DAA3;
--emerald-green-400: #6CD18E;
--emerald-green-500: #50C878;
--emerald-green-600: #45AD68;
--emerald-green-700: #3A9257;
--emerald-green-800: #2E7747;
--emerald-green-900: #235B36;
--emerald-green-950: #184026;
}A shade-by-shade guide to emerald green
The 50 to 950 scale above follows the same structure as Tailwind's built-in palettes, so each step has a natural job. The lightest steps, 50 (#DCF4E4) and 100 (#C0EBCE), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the emerald green mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#A4E2B9) and 300 (#88DAA3) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where emerald green is most recognizable, so use it for brand moments, illustrations and primary buttons. White text reaches the 4.5:1 body-text contrast minimum from step 800 upward, so use step 800 or darker when a button label needs to be white. Near-black text stays readable on steps 50 to 700.
The darkest steps, 800 (#2E7747) through 950 (#184026), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to emerald green. Using step 900 or 950 for text instead of pure black is one of the simplest ways to make an interface feel designed rather than default.
Colors that go with emerald green
How the emerald green color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from emerald green is #C850A0, which sits closest to blush pink among common named colors. Complementary pairs create the strongest contrast of hue, so use the second color sparingly, for a single call to action or highlight, rather than in equal amounts.
Analogous. #64C850 and #50C8B4 sit 30 degrees either side of emerald green. Analogous palettes feel calm and cohesive because the colors share undertones; they are ideal for illustrations, gradients and backgrounds where you want harmony more than contrast.
Triadic and split complementary. The triadic set (#7850C8 and #C87850) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to royal blue. The split complementary set (#B450C8 and #C85064) keeps much of the complementary contrast but is easier to balance, which makes it a good choice for data visualization and multi-category tags.
Monochromatic. The monochromatic set runs from #C4EDD2 to #216839. A single-hue palette is the safest way to build a calm, premium interface: rely on lightness for hierarchy, then add one neutral and one accent if you need emphasis.
Emerald Green compared with similar colors
zomp (#39A78E) is darker (44% vs 55% lightness) and similarly saturated, and leans further around the wheel toward teal-green. Choose zomp if you need more weight and contrast; choose emerald green if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
pistachio (#93C572) is lighter (61% vs 55% lightness) and more muted, and leans back the wheel toward yellow-green. Choose pistachio if you want a softer, airier version; choose emerald green if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
lime green (#32CD32) is darker (50% vs 55% lightness) and more saturated, and leans back the wheel toward green. Choose lime green if you need more weight and contrast; choose emerald green if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Emerald Green in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here emerald green carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
Weekly summary
Revenue grew 12% this week. Three invoices are waiting for approval.
Using emerald green in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. White labels on emerald green only reach 2.13:1, so use dark text (9.87:1 with black) or a deeper shade for the button.
- Text. Avoid emerald green for body text on white; use step 800 or darker for links and headings that need to read as emerald green.
- Backgrounds. Use steps 50 and 100 for large areas and keep the base color for smaller surfaces. Big blocks of a moderately saturated mid-tone color draw attention, so give them a reason, like a hero section or pricing highlight.
- Dark mode. Steps 900 and 950 make a dark surface tinted with emerald green. On dark backgrounds the base color often needs a lighter step (300 or 400) to keep enough contrast for icons and borders, as required by WCAG non-text contrast.
- States. Shift one step darker for hover and two steps darker for pressed. Keep focus rings in a contrasting color so keyboard users can always see them.
Contrast and accessibility
AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text. AAA needs 7:1.
Color contrast is measured as a ratio from 1:1 (no contrast) to 21:1 (black on white). Emerald Green scores 2.13:1 against white (Fail) and 9.87:1 against black (AAA). The WCAG 2.1 contrast guideline asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, which is why the shade guide above recommends specific steps for text and labels.
Contrast is only half of accessibility. Around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency, so never use emerald green alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What emerald green means
Green reads as growth, health, money and calm. Muted greens feel natural and organic; saturated greens feel fresh and energetic.
Emerald is named after the gemstone, one of the most valued stones in history. Pantone named Emerald its Color of the Year in 2013, which pushed jewel-toned greens into fashion and interiors. It suggests luxury, vitality and growth at the same time.
In interfaces green is already wired to mean success and confirmation, so if you use it as a brand color, pick a different hue (or a much darker shade) for success states so the two never get confused.
Where emerald green works best
- Jewellery and luxury goods
- Fintech success states
- Irish and spring campaigns
- Premium packaging
How to style emerald green
Emerald pairs beautifully with gold, black, blush and ivory for luxury, or with white and navy for a cleaner look. As a mid-light green it needs dark text for small sizes; deeper emerald shades handle white text better. Use it as a single jewel accent rather than a large background to keep it feeling precious.
Build a UI with emerald green
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #50C878 as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Emerald Green · History and definition of emerald green.
- WCAG 2.1: Contrast (Minimum) · The W3C rule behind the 4.5:1 and 3:1 thresholds used on this page.
- WCAG 2.1: Use of Color · Why color should never be the only way information is shown.
- MDN: CSS color values · Reference for hex, rgb() and hsl() syntax.
- Tailwind CSS: Customizing colors · How to add a custom color scale to your theme.
Similar colors
Questions people ask
What is the hex code for emerald green?
The hex code for emerald green used on this page is #50C878. In RGB that is rgb(80, 200, 120), and in HSL it is hsl(140, 52%, 55%).
What colors go well with emerald green?
Emerald Green pairs well with #0B6E4F, #F1FAF4, #D4AF37 (the Gemstone palette above). Its complementary color is #C850A0, and analogous colors are #64C850 and #50C8B4.
Is emerald green a warm or cool color?
Emerald Green is a slightly warm color. Its hue sits at 140 degrees on the color wheel with 52% saturation.
Can I use emerald green for text?
Emerald Green has a contrast ratio of 2.13:1 against white and 9.87:1 against black. Body text needs at least 4.5:1, so it works as a background behind dark text, but not as text on white.
What does emerald green mean?
Green reads as growth, health, money and calm. Muted greens feel natural and organic; saturated greens feel fresh and energetic. Emerald Green in particular is used for jewellery and luxury goods and fintech success states.
How do I use emerald green in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#50C878] for a one-off, or add the 50-950 scale from this page to theme.extend.colors in tailwind.config.js and use classes like bg-emerald-green-500 and text-emerald-green-900.
↘ Building Inspo AI | AI-Powered Design Research & Builder Platform | Design Engineer.