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Gentian SW 6817
On-screen approximation from the published RGB value. Order a physical sample before you decide.
Undertone: Saturated blue (a color, not a neutral)
In CIELAB, Gentian sits at L* 48.9, a* 8.3, b* -28.9. Its hue angle is 286° and its chroma is 30.1, so it reads as an outright blue rather than a neutral. It classifies as cool. Among Sherwin-Williams colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 2%.
LRV 17.5: dark
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 17.5, Gentian is lighter than 22% of Sherwin-Williams colors. Absorbs most light. Good for accent walls, cabinets, doors and exteriors; needs good lighting indoors.
Closest Benjamin Moore match to Gentian
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Nova | 825 | 4.25 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Waterdrop | CC-902 | 4.92 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Yin Yang | 824 | 6.57 | Similar, clearly different |
Closest Behr match to Gentian
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color. Behr does not publish LRV, so Behr values here are estimates.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stained Glass | 610B-6 | 1.39 | Very close | |
| Sudden Sapphire | 600B-6 | 2.06 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Wild Pansy | P540-6 | 2.80 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venture Violet | SW 6970 | 5.72 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Lupine | SW 6810 | 6.70 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Forget-Me-Not | SW 6824 | 6.90 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Searching Blue | SW 6536 | 7.42 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Sapphire | SW 6963 | 7.53 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Luxe Blue | SW 6537 | 8.39 | Same family only |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Sherwin-Williams with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- Venture Violet SW 6970 · lighter, LRV 22.6
- Perfect Periwinkle SW 9065 · lighter, LRV 23.1
- Brave Purple SW 6823 · lighter, LRV 28.9
- Forget-Me-Not SW 6824 · darker, LRV 15.8
- Fully Purple SW 6983 · darker, LRV 8.4
- Frank Blue SW 6967 · darker, LRV 8.2
Colors that go with Gentian
Sherwin-Williams's own coordinating colors for Gentian:
- Shell White SW 8917
- Polished Concrete SW 9167
- Spatial White SW 6259
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Sherwin-Williams color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Relentless Olive SW 6425 · complementary (180°)
- Danube SW 6803 · analogous (−30°)
- Clematis SW 6831 · analogous (+30°)
- Roycroft Adobe SW 0040 · triadic (120°)
- Ionian SW 6754 · triadic (240°)
Gentian vs popular colors
- Van Deusen Blue (Benjamin Moore HC-156, ΔE 13.7) is darker (LRV 12.0 vs 17.5), more yellow/warm, more green, more muted.
- Hale Navy (Benjamin Moore HC-154, ΔE 19.4) is darker (LRV 8.4 vs 17.5), more yellow/warm, more green, more muted.
- Shadow (Benjamin Moore 2117-30, ΔE 19.8) is darker (LRV 9.3 vs 17.5), more yellow/warm, more green, more muted.