Charcoal and Gold
Why they work: luxury with a modern edge: soft near-black instead of pure black.
Combination sets
The classic split
Charcoal and Gold with a light tint of charcoal, a deep shade of gold and white for breathing room.
Dark mode
Both anchors survive on dark: Gold as the highlight, Charcoal as the accent, and two intermediate surfaces for elevation.
Soft & light
Both anchors reduced to tints for airy sections, with the full-strength colors kept for buttons and links.
60 / 30 / 10 UI set
A practical interface split: neutral ~60%, charcoal ~30% for structure, gold ~10% for calls to action.
Gradient bridge
The direct perceptual path from charcoal to gold — use for hero sections, charts and progress states.
Contrast data
| Foreground | Background | Ratio | AA | AAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #36454F | #FFD700 | 7.06:1 | ✓ | ✓ |
| #FFD700 | #36454F | 7.06:1 | ✓ | ✓ |
| #36454F | #FFFFFF | 9.90:1 | ✓ | ✓ |
| #36454F | #000000 | 2.12:1 | ✗ | ✗ |
| #FFD700 | #FFFFFF | 1.40:1 | ✗ | ✗ |
| #FFD700 | #000000 | 14.97:1 | ✓ | ✓ |
| #16161D | #3F9E7C | 5.48:1 | ✓ | ✗ |
Related combinations
FAQ
Do charcoal and gold go together?
Yes — luxury with a modern edge: soft near-black instead of pure black. Their hues are 153° apart on the color wheel and the direct pair contrast is 7.06:1. The sets on this page show exactly how to balance them (warm + cool).
What text color works on charcoal and gold?
On charcoal use #FFFFFF text (9.9:1); on gold use #000000 (14.97:1). Both pass WCAG AA for normal text.
What are the exact color codes?
Charcoal: #36454F — OKLCH oklch(38.14% 0.026 237.5). Gold: #FFD700 — OKLCH oklch(88.68% 0.182 95.3).