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Chestnut (color)
Chestnut (color)
Chestnut (color)
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Chestnut
 
About these coordinates     Color coordinates
Hex triplet#954535
sRGBB (r, g, b)(149, 69, 53)
HSV (h, s, v)(10°, 64%, 58%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)(39, 63, 19°)
SourceMaerz and Paul
ISCC–NBS descriptorStrong reddish brown
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Chestnut or castaneous[1] is a colour, a medium reddish shade of brown (displayed right), and is named after the nut of the chestnut tree. An alternate name for the colour is badious.[2]

Indian red is a similar but separate and distinct colour from chestnut. [citation needed]

Chestnut is also a very dark tan that almost appears brown.

Etymology

[edit]
Chestnuts can be found on the ground around chestnut trees.

The name chestnut derives from the color of the nut of the chestnut tree. The first recorded use of chestnut as a color term in English was in 1555.[3] The color maroon is also named after the chestnut (via French marron).

Variations of chestnut

[edit]

Deep chestnut

[edit]
Chestnut (Crayola)
 
About these coordinates     Color coordinates
Hex triplet#B94E48
sRGBB (r, g, b)(185, 78, 72)
HSV (h, s, v)(3°, 61%, 73%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)(47, 83, 14°)
SourceCrayola
ISCC–NBS descriptorDark reddish orange
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Deep chestnut is the color called chestnut in Crayola crayons. This colour was also produced in a special limited edition in which it was called Vermont maple syrup.

At the request of educators worried that children (mistakenly) believed the name represented the skin colour of Native Americans, Crayola changed the name of their crayon colour "Indian Red", originally formulated in 1958, to "Chestnut" in 1999.[4] In reality, the colour Indian red has nothing to do with American Indians but is an iron oxide pigment the use of which is popular in India.

Chestnut in nature

[edit]
Chestnut-backed chickadee

Chestnut in human culture

[edit]

Animal husbandry

Cosmetology

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Chestnut (color)

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia

Chestnut is a medium dark reddish-brown color, defined by the code #954535 and RGB values (149, 69, 53), evoking the glossy shell of the chestnut fruit from the Castanea tree.
This hue, with approximately 58% , 27% , and 21% components, falls within the dark orange family on color wheels, characterized by medium and high saturation.
Named after the nut's natural pigmentation, chestnut has been employed historically in English since at least the to denote similar tones in nature, such as coats and , and persists in modern contexts like , , and digital palettes for its warm, stable, and elegant qualities.
In design, it pairs effectively with neutrals, golds, or blacks to convey timeless sophistication, appearing in accessories, furniture, and UI elements as an accent for grounded visual appeal.

Definition and Technical Details

Color Characteristics

Chestnut is a medium dark shade of , presenting as a warm reddish-brown hue with dominant red components. Its hexadecimal code is . In the , chestnut comprises 149 units of red, 69 units of green, and 53 units of blue, equivalent to 58.43% red, 27.06% green, and 20.78% blue. This composition yields a muted warmth due to the elevated red value relative to green and blue, aligning with perceptual classifications of earthy tones. The HSL representation features a hue of 10 degrees, saturation of 48%, and lightness of 40%, positioning it near the boundary of and orange on the . In HSV terms, it maintains the 10-degree hue, with 64% saturation and 58% value, emphasizing its intensity within the spectrum. For subtractive color systems like , the CMYK values are 0% , 54% , 64% , and 42% . Chestnut approximates a wavelength of 599.78 nanometers, corresponding to orange-red light in the .
Color ModelSpecification
RGB(149, 69, 53)
HSL10°, 48% saturation, 40%
HSV10°, 64% saturation, 58% value
CMYK0%, 54%, 64%, 42%

Digital and Printing Specifications

In , the color chestnut is commonly represented in the sRGB color space using the hexadecimal code #954535, which corresponds to RGB values of (149, 69, 53). These values yield approximately 58.4% , 27.1% , and 20.8% intensity, suitable for , digital displays, and adhering to standard mixing. Variations exist across platforms due to differences in color profiling and rendering engines, but #954535 aligns with empirical measurements from color databases derived from historical and perceptual standards for reddish-brown hues. For printing applications, such as offset lithography or digital presses using models, chestnut approximates CMYK values of 0% , 54% , 64% yellow, and 42% black, derived from converting the sRGB equivalent while accounting for absorption and paper substrates. These proportions reflect process color separations observed in professional workflows, though exact outputs vary by press , formulation, and ICC profiles—empirical testing on specific equipment is recommended for color fidelity. provides a textile-specific variant, 19-1118 TCX Chestnut, with RGB (88, 64, 57) and corresponding CMYK approximations, targeted for fabric and non-digital reproduction rather than universal standards.
Color ModelValuesNotes
HEX#954535Standard web/digital identifier.
RGB (sRGB)(149, 69, 53)Additive mixing for screens.
CMYK(0, 54, 64, 42)Subtractive for printing; approximate.

Etymology and Historical Context

Linguistic Origins

The English term "chestnut," when applied to a reddish-brown color, derives from the appearance of the hard, shiny shell or inner husk of the edible nut produced by trees in the genus Castanea. This usage represents a semantic extension from the nut itself to hues resembling its warm, earthy tone, a pattern common in color nomenclature where natural objects provide metaphorical anchors for visual description. The word's deeper etymology originates in ancient Greek kastaneá or kastánē, denoting the , possibly named after regions such as Castanea in Pontus (modern-day ) or Castana in , though these locales likely drew their names from the prevalent trees rather than vice versa. From Greek, it passed into Latin as castanea, referring to both the tree and its , reflecting the nut's cultural significance in Mediterranean diets and economies since antiquity. This Latin form influenced chastaigne or chastain, which entered around the 14th century as chesten or chesteyne, initially compounded as chesten nut to distinguish it from other nuts like the . By the , "" had solidified in English as a descriptor for colors evoking the nut's polished mahogany-like sheen, particularly in contexts like , fabrics, and paints. Parallel developments appear in , such as French châtain for chestnut-hued hair, underscoring a shared Indo-European heritage where plant-derived terms filled gaps in proto-color vocabularies limited to basic categories like black, white, red, yellow, green, and blue. Unlike synthetic or abstract color names, "chestnut" exemplifies grue (green-blue) resolution through object-based specificity, grounded in observable natural phenomena rather than arbitrary invention.

Evolution in Color Nomenclature

The term "" as a descriptor for a dark reddish-brown hue originated from the color of the edible nut produced by trees of the genus Castanea, with references to this specific coloration appearing in English by the mid-17th century. Prior to its adoption as a general color name, analogous terms derived from the chestnut nut influenced in ; for instance, the chastain (from Latin castanea), denoting the tree and nut, evolved into châtain by the medieval period, commonly applied to describe medium shades resembling the nut's glossy, reddish tone. This linguistic extension reflects early descriptive practices linking natural objects to , where the nut's distinctive warm served as a reference for similar earthy tones in human features and animal pelage. In equine terminology, "" emerged as a standard color designation during the same , characterizing horses with a reddish-brown body, mane, and lacking black points, directly evoking the nut's appearance and solidifying its role in specialized by the 17th century. By the 19th century, the term gained broader currency in English-speaking contexts for fabrics, dyes, and artistic pigments, aligning with the Victorian preference for rich, natural earth tones in and apparel. Systematic codification occurred in the early 20th century through color efforts; Maerz and Paul's A Dictionary of Color () defined "chestnut" as a strong reddish brown, providing plate-based matching (Plate 39, Color 19) that facilitated precise reproduction in and . Modern has integrated "" into digital standards, with HEX code #954535 approximating the hue in RGB values (149, 69, 53), reflecting its evolution from qualitative description to quantifiable specification amid advances in and . This progression underscores a shift from empirical, object-based naming—rooted in observable natural phenomena—to metric-driven systems, though the term retains its association with organic warmth, as seen in its 1999 adoption by to replace "Indian Red" for a comparable reddish-brown , prioritizing neutrality in educational contexts.

Color Variations

Primary Shades

The primary shades of refer to the core variants of this reddish-brown color, centered around the standard web color definition. The standard shade has the code #954535 and RGB values of (149, 69, 53), representing a medium-dark tone composed of approximately 58% , 27% , and 21% . This hue evokes the appearance of the nut or certain natural elements like horse coats and human , with a dominant component balanced by subdued and for a warm, earthy quality. Lighter variants, such as light chestnut, lighten the tone while retaining reddish undertones, defined by hex #96574E and RGB (150, 87, 78), which shifts the balance to about 48% , 28% , and 25% . Darker shades, like dark chestnut, deepen the color to hex #986960 with RGB (152, 105, 96), featuring roughly 60% , 41% , and 38% for a richer, more subdued profile. These primary shades form the basis for digital rendering and color matching in , , and , where the standard #954535 serves as the reference point for derivations. In CMYK terms, standard chestnut approximates 0% , 54% , 64% , and 42% , facilitating accurate reproduction in print media.
ShadeHex CodeRGB Values
Standard Chestnut#954535(149, 69, 53)
Light Chestnut#96574E(150, 87, 78)
Dark Chestnut#986960(152, 105, 96)
Tints of , created by adding to the base hue (#954535, RGB 149, 69, 53), produce lighter variations that preserve the reddish-brown character with reduced saturation and increased , such as light chestnut (#ba7e67) and pastel (#a26656). These tints appear in design palettes for softer, more versatile applications while maintaining warmth. Related hues occupy adjacent positions on the near 's 10° hue angle, including orange-leaning variants like #a66924 and redder tones such as #903a4f, forming analogous harmonies suitable for monochromatic schemes with subtle shifts. Named hues in this family include russet and , which echo 's earthy reddish-brown profile but vary in or orange dominance—for instance, often renders as #C0402A with deeper intensity.
Variation TypeExample Color NameHEX CodeRelation to Chestnut
TintLight Chestnut#ba7e67Lighter, desaturated version with added brightness
TintMaple Chestnut#b17131Brighter tint shifting toward yellowish warmth
Analogous HueRussetApprox. #8D4E32Adjacent reddish-brown with balanced red-green
Analogous Hue#C0402ARedder, more saturated variant in the spectrum

Natural Occurrences

In Flora and Fauna

In flora, the chestnut color prominently appears in the husked nuts of trees in the genus Castanea, such as the sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), whose glossy, reddish-brown shells inspired the color's nomenclature. Similarly, the conkers of the horse chestnut () exhibit a glossy red-brown hue upon maturation in autumn. Certain sedges, like Carex hystericina (chestnut-colored sedge), display brownish inflorescences resembling the color, thriving in calcareous wetlands. In , the color is a common equine characterized by a reddish-brown , with mane and matching or lighter in tone, ranging from light copper to dark liver shades; this is genetically determined by homozygosity for the recessive at the extension locus. Among birds, like the ( pensylvanica) exhibit vivid chestnut flanks during breeding , aiding in mate attraction within regenerating habitats. The (Poecile rufescens) features rufous-brown upperparts, providing camouflage in coniferous . Other examples include the chestnut-throated seedeater (Sporophila telasco), with males showing a distinct dark chestnut patch amid streaked .

In Geological and Organic Materials

Kastanozems, a soil order prevalent in semi-arid regions of and parts of , exhibit a distinctive chestnut-brown color in their humus-rich surface horizon (A horizon), typically 10-30 cm deep, due to the accumulation of from decomposition combined with secondary accumulation in deeper layers. This coloration arises from the oxidation of iron compounds and under conditions of moderate precipitation (250-450 mm annually) and seasonal dryness, distinguishing them from darker chernozems in wetter climates. These soils support productive grazing and dryland agriculture but are susceptible to and salinization when vegetation cover is reduced. In organic materials derived from woody plants, the heartwood of chestnut trees (Castanea species) provides a primary natural example of the color, ranging from light to medium with a subtle reddish undertone that intensifies upon exposure and aging due to oxidative processes. For the (Castanea dentata), the sapwood is narrow and pale, contrasting the denser heartwood's grayish- hue, which historically contributed to its use in durable furniture and before decimated populations in the early 20th century. European sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) wood similarly features a warm tone, influenced by extractives like that confer decay resistance and the observed color stability. Chestnut hues also appear in organic-rich geological deposits such as lignites or peats from forested paleoenvironments, where humification and iron produce analogous shades, though less commonly documented than in living soils or . In these contexts, the color reflects diagenetic alteration under anoxic conditions followed by surface , with empirical measurements showing RGB approximations of 139-69-19 for mature samples.

Cultural and Symbolic Uses

Psychological and Associative Meanings

In , the chestnut hue—a warm, reddish-brown—is frequently linked to sensations of stability, grounding, and emotional security, as it mimics natural elements like and autumn foliage that convey reliability and resilience. These associations stem from its earthy undertones, which empirical reviews suggest may subtly influence perceptions of dependability in visual stimuli, though rigorous indicate such effects are moderated by context and individual experience rather than universal physiological responses. Negative connotations can include perceptions of dullness or heaviness when overused, potentially evoking or in design applications. Associatively, chestnut evokes warmth, elegance, and timelessness, often symbolizing abundance and material due to its resemblance to ripened chestnuts and fall landscapes. In historical contexts, reddish-brown tones akin to chestnut were tied to agricultural in , representing cycles of growth and renewal linked to goddesses. Culturally, it aligns with , , and practical , attributes reinforced in modern interpretations where brown variants denote masculine strength and structured support, as seen in branding for security or tradition-oriented products. Empirical investigations into color-emotion links, spanning over a century of data from thousands of participants, consistently pair brown shades with neutral-to-positive traits like and wholesomeness, though chestnut's inflection may amplify subtle energizing effects akin to rather than pure . These meanings, while culturally pervasive, lack the robust causal evidence of primary colors like or , highlighting psychology's reliance on associative learning over innate responses.

Representations in Art, Fashion, and Society

In , the chestnut color has been employed for its earthy depth and capacity to convey realism and light modulation, particularly in landscapes and portraits from the onward. van Rijn utilized shades akin to chestnut in his techniques to render shadows and textures, reviving the hue's prominence after earlier periods of lesser favor among artists. Similarly, 19th-century Impressionists like depicted chestnut trees in bloom along the in works such as Allée of Chestnut Trees (1878), capturing the reddish-brown tones of foliage and bark to evoke natural vibrancy and seasonal change. Paul Cézanne's Chestnut Trees (c. 1885–1886) further exemplifies this, with microscopic analysis revealing pigments like reds and umbers—derived from clay sources—that produced the painting's warm browns, underscoring the color's role in post-Impressionist studies of light and form. In fashion, chestnut brown emerged as a staple for autumnal wardrobes due to its warm, versatile undertones, pairing effectively with neutrals like , , and gray for tonal harmony. By the 2023 fall season, it gained traction in items such as boots, dresses, and tops, reflecting a preference for grounded, season-appropriate shades over brighter alternatives. In , chestnut brown loafers and chinos-compatible shoes have been recommended for casual ensembles with or khakis, emphasizing durability and understated elegance. For , chestnut brown—a deep, reddish variant—has trended since at least 2024 for its flattering adaptability across skin tones and textures, from curls to straight strands, often highlighted in styling guides for its low-maintenance vibrancy. Societally, the chestnut color symbolizes stability, resilience, and earthiness, drawing from associations with the chestnut tree's hardy nature and historical uses in sustenance and craftsmanship. In Celtic lore, it links to wisdom and spiritual connectivity, while broader cultural motifs tie it to longevity and prosperity, as seen in its evocation of autumnal comfort and preparedness. Heraldic depictions feature chestnut trees or nuts rather than the color as a tincture per se—standard heraldry favors defined hues like sable for dark tones—but modern extensions, such as in SCA armory, occasionally incorporate browns for naturalistic elements like falcons proper. These representations underscore the color's practical and metaphorical grounding in endurance, though its absence from core heraldic palettes reflects a preference for symbolic metals and colors over literal browns.

References

  1. https://encycolorpedia.com/954535
  2. https://htmlcolorcodes.com/colors/chestnut/
  3. https://www.color-hex.com/color/954535
  4. https://colors.artyclick.com/color-names-dictionary/color-names/chestnut-color
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  6. https://palettemaker.com/colors/chestnut
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  13. https://www.colorxs.com/color/chestnut
  14. https://cmyktool.com/cmyk-color/0-31-44-55/chestnut/
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  30. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Chestnut-sided_Warbler/id
  31. https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/chtsee1/cur/introduction
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  33. https://ees.kuleuven.be/soil-monoliths/wrb-documentation-centre/wrb-1998-lecture-notes/set8/slidekas.pdf
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  35. https://www.arboretum.purdue.edu/explorer/features/fnr-chestnut/
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  54. https://scaheraldry.info/index.php/Brown
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