Anchor Stranded Cotton

233 — Shell Grey Dark

Grays family

Anchor 233 (Shell Grey Dark) is a medium-dark, subdued gray shade with hex code #6D615E and RGB values 109, 97, 94. Below you'll find the closest Sullivans, Cosmo, and Classic Colorworks equivalents — ranked by visual color similarity — plus 8 similar Anchor shades and color harmony pairings.

Hex
#6D615E
RGB
109, 97, 94
HSL
12°, 7%, 40%
Lab
42.2, 4.2, 3.5
Lightness
40%
Dark
Saturation
7%
Neutral
Hue
12°
Family
Grays

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 233

Top 5 closest matches in each brand, ranked by visual color similarity. How matching works

Anchor 233 Shell Grey Dark

Madeira

Shell Grey Dark 1808 97% Excellent
Steel Grey Light 1802 70% Approx
Steel Grey Medium 1801 62% Fair
Beige Grey Medium 1902 60% Fair
Beige Grey Dark 1903 59% Fair

J&P Coates

Grey Dark 8514 89% Good
Stone Grey Very Dark 8501 78% Approx
Tawny Dark 5395 69% Approx
Loden Green Dark 6317 54% Fair
Charcoal Grey Dark 8999 50% Fair

Sullivans

Shell Grey Dark 45101 65% Approx
Beaver Grey Dark 45152 52% Fair
Beaver Grey Very Dark 45151 51% Fair
Steel Grey Dark 45090 50% Fair
Beige Grey Very Dark 45148 49% Fair

Cosmo

Cosmo 2037 2037 74% Approx
Cosmo 154 154 73% Approx
Cosmo 384 384 67% Approx
Cosmo 475 475 63% Fair
Cosmo 894 894 63% Fair

Classic Colorworks

Choc. Cream Pie Choc. Cream Pie 74% Approx
Little House Br. Little House Br. 67% Approx
Stepping Stones Stepping Stones 66% Approx
Baking Tin Baking Tin 58% Fair
Wagon Wheel Wagon Wheel 57% Fair

Weeks Dye Works

Spanish Moss 1150 80% Good
Graphite 1154 72% Approx
Porpoise 1299 67% Approx
Basil 1291 65% Approx
Miami (obsolete) 2101 62% Fair

Gentle Art Sampler

Driftwood 1080 75% Approx
Amethyst 0891 72% Approx
Soot 1050 71% Approx
Fisherman's Wharf 1190 69% Approx
Dark Chocolate 1170 60% Fair

Valdani

Shell Grey dark O513 76% Approx
Beige Grey very dark 196 55% Fair
Cocoa light JP6 48% Fair
Brown Grey dark P9 46% Fair
Ash Grey very light 893 43% Fair

Crescent Colours

Deep Fennel 053 61% Fair
Plymouth Rock 163 61% Fair
Root Beer Float 027 60% Fair
Old Blue Jeans 154 57% Fair
Muddy Puddle 180 47% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 233

Closest Anchor threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.

Anchor 233 Shell Grey Dark
Steel Grey Light Anchor 399 Close ΔE 5.22 Beige Grey Dark Anchor 392 Noticeable ΔE 8.57 Brown Grey Medium Anchor 903 Noticeable ΔE 8.87 Drab Brown Medium Anchor 832 Noticeable ΔE 9.84 Beige Grey Ultra Very Dark Anchor 393 Noticeable ΔE 10.14 Drab Brown Dark Anchor 898 Noticeable ΔE 11.51 Pewter Grey Anchor 235 Noticeable ΔE 11.52 Flesh Very Dark Anchor 1007 Noticeable ΔE 11.92

Color Harmonies for Anchor 233

Anchor threads that pair well with 233, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
233
850 Grey Blue Dark
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
233
399 Steel Grey Light 399 Steel Grey Light
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
233
876 Sea Foam Green Medium 921 Antique Blue Medium
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading
233
401 Shell Grey Very Dark 391 Beige Grey Medium 830 Drab Brown Very Light

Grays Family

Anchor 233 in context with nearby shades from the grays color family.

233 Shell Grey Dark 233 232 Shell Grey Medium 232 849 Grey Blue Medium 849 900 Beaver Grey Light 900 939 Blue Grey 939 850 Grey Blue Dark 850 399 Steel Grey Light 399

About Anchor 233

Known as Shell Grey Dark, Anchor 233 is a medium-dark, subdued shade sitting in the grays family. This thread brings a somber and rich presence to projects featuring storm cloud accents or slate textures. Look for it in charts that feature rabbit fur or shading.

Frequently Asked Questions

Anchor 233 — what color is it?

The color of Anchor 233 is Shell Grey Dark — a medium-dark gray thread (hex #6D615E, RGB 109, 97, 94). It shows up most in castle walls and elephant motifs.

What is the DMC equivalent of Anchor 233?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 233 (Shell Grey Dark) is DMC 04 (Dark Tin) with a 77% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 08 (Dark Driftwood, 76%) and DMC 07 (Driftwood, 76%).

Which Anchor threads are close to 233?

The closest Anchor threads to 233 are 399 Steel Grey Light (ΔE 5.22), 392 Beige Grey Dark (ΔE 8.57), and 903 Brown Grey Medium (ΔE 8.87). These are useful substitutes when 233 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What is Anchor 233 good for?

Anchor 233 (Shell Grey Dark) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring castle walls, elephant motifs, cobblestone paths, industrial designs. Its medium-dark tone works well for standalone motifs and as part of larger palettes. This page includes color harmonies and similar shades to pair with 233.

Anchor Color Chart DMC ↔ Anchor Conversion