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Redeem nowInspiration in the color ivory.
Learn the history and meaning of the color ivory, the off-white that adds elegance to gowns, piano keys, and more.
Get inspired with ivory design templates.
The color ivory brings many meanings of white, but without its cold sterility.
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How to use the color ivory.
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Ivory in fashion, décor, and design.
In fashion, the color ivory is a warm alternative to white, which sometimes seems too cold or too bright. In interior design, the color ivory is considered an elegant complement to other rich colors in a room. In graphic design, ivory color fits in almost any look, from Bohemian to industrial to elegant.
Tap into the psychology of ivory color.
The term “ivory” has a history of positive and negative connotations, but the color ivory has pretty simple psychology when it meets the eye. Ivory color is so close to pure white that it evokes many of the same meanings white does, including purity and serenity. The color ivory is also associated with vintage in fashion because of its use over white until the mid-20th century.
The color ivory versus cream.
Ivory color is sometimes confused with cream. Both are types of off-white, but the color ivory is much lighter. Cream color has more yellow. Both ivory and cream are favorite neutrals that are versatile in countless palettes.
Combine ivory with other colors.
The color ivory is a neutral that sits on the warm side of white. Ivory color can be paired with any other color, or it can be used alone. In bridal gowns, ivory is often adorned only with the flowers in a bride’s hand. In interior design, ivory color is particularly striking next to navy blue or maroon. Combine ivory with gold or beige for a truly opulent palette.
Information about ivory color.
The ivory HEX code picker is #FFFFF0. This is the lightest shade of off-white with just the tiniest hint of warm yellow.
The color ivory can be achieved in a RGB space with 255 red, 255 green, and 240 blue. Ivory color can be achieved in a CMYK color space with 0% cyan, 0% magenta, 6% yellow, and 0% black.
The history of ivory color.
The origin of ivory carvings.
Ivory was a material used for carvings — from piano keys to jewelry — as far back as ancient times. The hard, off-white solid was made primarily from the tusks of elephants, but also from walrus, mammoth, hippopotamus, sperm whale, narwhal, orca, and warthog. Ivory was considered a luxury good because of its cost. It was this early association that tied the color ivory to opulence and sophistication.
Ivory material was outlawed — but the color ivory held its place.
The cultural view of ivory material declined over time. The act of hunting animals to harvest their tusks and teeth was eventually recognized as animal cruelty, and a growing list of countries has now outlawed its production. The color ivory, however, took its own lasting pedestal in color psychology. For many, the term “ivory” calls the color to mind without thinking of the material at all. Ivory color was first recorded in English in 1580.
Modern use of the color ivory.
At the start of the age of computer graphics, ivory color was included in the inaugural set of X11 colors (1987). By then, the color ivory had established itself as a formal and versatile off-white. In fact, many brides today choose ivory color wedding dresses instead of white. This adds a look of opulence and harkens back to antique couture when the color ivory was used in place of pure white in fashion.
The color ivory across different cultures.
Ivory color in Eastern cultures.
Ivory goods were originally manufactured, carved, and traded out of the Indus Valley. Its production roots are in Asia, and it’s across the East that ivory color is most associated with the artifacts it was used for. For centuries, ivory was used in personal ornaments like combs, jewelry, and pins; religious artifacts like Buddha statues; and decorative objects like dice and dominoes.
The color ivory in nature.
Ivory color has been used to describe things in nature, too. This almost-white shade is warmed with the smallest amount of yellow and is seen in the cymbidium species of orchids, for example. A long list of birds are named with the color ivory, too, including the ivory gull, the ivory-backed wood swallow, the ivory-billed woodpecker, and more.
The color ivory in language.
The word “ivory” entered English in the 13th century, first referring to the material. By the late 1500s, ivory color was used figuratively for other things, especially pale skin tones common to parts of Europe (especially among the wealthy who rarely spent extended time in the sun). Because of the mixed positive and negative views of ivory, it bore the term “ivory tower” to refer both to a place of seclusion and a pedestal where a haughty person is perched, seemingly out of touch with reality.