Showa era
Eosine Pink & Citrine
Plate 59 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Eosine Pink, Citrine.
#b09f36
yellow · 5 palettes
Citrine
About Citrine
Citrine is a mid-tone, muted yellow tone. Its hex value is #b09f36 — that is
RGB 176, 159, 54, or HSL 52°, 53%, 45%.
It holds 7.9:1 contrast against dark, so Citrine works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 2.7:1; on black 7.9:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Citrine appears in 5 combinations — most often paired with Eosine Pink, Light Glaucous Blue and Sulpher Yellow.
Colours that go with Citrine
From a standard colour wheel, Citrine anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#b09f36 #3647B0
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#b09f36 #B06236 #84B036
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#b09f36 #36B09F #9F36B0
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#b09f36 #3684B0 #6236B0
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Citrine
Citrine is a mid-tone, muted tone (HSL 52°, 53%, 45%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (7.9:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#3647B0) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#B06236 and #84B036) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Citrine
Citrine appears in 5 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.
From the archive
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