Amber vs Honey
Can you tell them apart?
#FFBF00
#F4C430
Perceptual difference (ΔE): 11 — similar.
Amber and honey are both golden yellows with orange warmth, named after two of the world's most recognisable natural substances. Amber — the fossilised tree resin found along Baltic coasts — is a richer, deeper gold-orange, darker and more intense, with more orange in its warmth. Honey is named after bee honey and sits at a slightly lighter and more pure gold. Both suggest natural richness and warmth that pure yellow lacks, but amber dips more toward orange-brown territory while honey stays truer to a golden mid-yellow. The confusion is entirely understandable given how closely they sit on the spectrum.
How to tell them apart
Amber is darker and more orange; honey is lighter and more pure gold. If it looks like it came from ancient Baltic rock, a lager beer held to light, or Victorian jewellery, it's amber; if it looks like something you'd pour on pancakes, it's honey.
Color values
| HEX | #FFBF00 |
|---|---|
| RGB | 255, 191, 0 |
| HSL | 45°, 100%, 50% |
| CMYK | 0, 25, 100, 0 |
| HEX | #F4C430 |
|---|---|
| RGB | 244, 196, 48 |
| HSL | 45°, 90%, 57% |
| CMYK | 0, 20, 80, 4 |
FAQ
- Is amber more orange than honey?
- Yes. Amber has more orange in it and is darker; honey is a lighter, purer gold.
- Are amber and honey the same colour?
- They're close but not the same. Amber is deeper and more orange-gold; honey is softer and more yellow-gold.