Showa era
Ivory Buff & Mineral Gray
Plate 11 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Ivory Buff, Mineral Gray.
#a2b0ad
neutral · 2 palettes
Mineral Gray
About Mineral Gray
Mineral Gray is a mid-tone, near-neutral neutral tone. Its hex value is #a2b0ad — that is
RGB 162, 176, 173, or HSL 167°, 8%, 66%.
It holds 9.3:1 contrast against dark, so Mineral Gray works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 2.2:1; on black 9.3:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Mineral Gray appears in 2 combinations — most often paired with Ivory Buff and Pompeian Red.
Colours that go with Mineral Gray
As a mid-tone near-neutral, Mineral Gray sits comfortably beside almost any accent — the schemes below show the subtle, reliable pairings from a standard colour wheel.
Complementary
#a2b0ad #B0A2A5
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#a2b0ad #A2B0A6 #A2ACB0
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#a2b0ad #ADA2B0 #B0ADA2
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#a2b0ad #B0A2AC #B0A6A2
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Mineral Gray
Mineral Gray is a mid-tone, near-neutral tone (HSL 167°, 8%, 66%), 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 (9.3:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#B0A2A5) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#A2B0A6 and #A2ACB0) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Mineral Gray
Mineral Gray appears in 2 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.
From the archive
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