DMC Mouliné Spécial

3021 — Brown Grey very dark

Browns family

DMC 3021 — Brown Grey very dark — has hex #46382E and RGB 70, 56, 46. This dark, muted brown thread sits alongside its closest Classic Colorworks, Weeks Dye Works, and Gentle Art Sampler matches below, with 8 similar DMC shades and a panel of color harmonies for palette planning.

Hex
#46382E
RGB
70, 56, 46
HSL
25°, 21%, 23%
Lab
24.7, 4.4, 8.6
Lightness
23%
Dark
Saturation
21%
Neutral
Hue
25°
Family
Browns

Brand Equivalents for DMC 3021

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

DMC 3021Brown Grey very dark

Closest match to DMC 3021 in 43 more brands

The single nearest shade in every other palette we hold, from needlepoint silks and wools to fuse beads and yarn. Match quality is perceptual colour distance: 93% and up is hard to tell apart, under 75% is a visible shift.

More stranded cotton

Ariadna181292% Good
Luca-S48487% Good
Gamma3228 т.коричневый-хаки86% Good
Dimensions15472 Mocha Brown very dark85% Good
PNK Kirov671274% Approx
Finca8171 Beige Brown very dark66% Approx
Riolis87066% Approx

Hand-dyed & overdyed

Caron0020 Black88% Good
Crescent Colors Silk077 Briar patch84% Fair
Needle NecessitiesC136 Dk Fudge Brown84% Fair
Classic Colorworks SilkBriar Patch83% Fair
The Gentle Art Simply Shaker7042 Raven74% Approx
The Gentle Art1170 Dark Chocolate67% Approx
ThreadworX10371 Rich Chocolate58% Approx
Olde Willow215 Allentown Brown33% Approx
Dinky Dyes31 Choco Latte27% Approx

Silk

Soie d'Alger3435 Brown Grey very dark100% Best
Eterna Silk110 Tawny Very Dark87% Good
Vineyard Silk042 Dark Earth83% Fair
Silk and Ivory174 Shiitake82% Fair
YLI Silk238 Medium Grey70% Approx
Kimono Silk364 Mississippi Mud65% Approx
Kreinik Silk Mori8077 Vy Dk Charcoal55% Approx

Wool for needlepoint

Appleton955 Drab Fawn81% Fair

Metallic, rayon & specialty

Madeira Rayon1059 Egyptian Brown80% Fair
Glissen Gloss812 Dark brown78% Fair
Kreinik080HL Garnet Hi Lustre74% Approx
Anchor Marlitt1072 Grey Brown dark72% Approx
Rainbow GalleryW123 Chestnut67% Approx
Coats Rayon51 Chona Brown55% Approx
Petite Treasure BraidPB11 Purple22% Approx

Other threads & beads

Coats Puppets8086 8086Puppets87% Good
Planet Earth142 tobacco78% Fair
Mill Hill Beads0301169% Approx
Planet Earth Pepperpot071 chocolate61% Approx

Fuse beads

HamaH12 Brown81% Fair
PerlerP12 Brown73% Approx
Artkal SS16 Brown52% Approx
CocoL1352% Approx
MARDR1352% Approx

Yarn for crochet & knitting

Red Heart Super Saver0365 Coffee63% Approx
Bernat Super Value53013 Chocolate52% Approx
Caron One Pound10618 Dark Gray Mix41% Approx

Need the runners-up, or a whole pattern converted? The thread conversion chart ranks every alternative for DMC 3021 (Brown Grey very dark) in any brand.

Similar DMC Colors to 3021

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

Working with DMC 3021

On white fabric
11.3:1
On dark fabric
1.9:1
Temperature
soft warm
Closest to
charcoal

It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground.

DMC 3021 in other DMC lines

DMC reuses base numbers across its specialty lines, so the same shade can exist as a satin, a metallic, or a sparkle floss under a prefixed code. Here is where Brown Grey very dark turns up.

DMC 3021 is a Mouliné Spécial-only number: there is no Satin, Light Effects, or Étoile version of this shade. For a sheen or sparkle in the same tone, blend one strand of the nearest metallic with two strands of DMC 3021.

Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D3021, Diamond Drills USA AD3021. A kit legend or drill bag marked 3021 means this colour. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.

Color Harmonies for DMC 3021

DMC threads that pair well with 3021, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading

Browns Family

DMC 3021 in context with nearby shades from the browns color family.

About DMC 3021

Known as Brown Grey very dark, DMC 3021 is a dark, muted shade sitting in the browns family with warm chocolate tones. It has a dramatic and quiet feel that suits warm outlines and wooden textures particularly well. Designers often pair this shade with coffee themes or rustic designs for balanced palettes.

Frequently Asked Questions

DMC 3021 — what color is it?

The color of DMC 3021 is Brown Grey very dark — a dark brown thread (hex #46382E, RGB 70, 56, 46). It shows up most in bark patterns and gingerbread themes.

What is the Anchor equivalent of DMC 3021?

The closest Anchor match for DMC 3021 (Brown Grey very dark) is Anchor 904 (Brown Grey Medium) with a 79% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 1086 (Taupe Medium Dark, 72%) and Anchor 905 (Brown Grey Dark, 72%).

Which DMC threads are close to 3021?

The closest DMC threads to 3021 are 3781 Mocha Brown dark (ΔE 3.44), 3031 Mocha Brown very dark (ΔE 4.5), and 838 Beige Brown very dark (ΔE 4.95). These are useful substitutes when 3021 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What is DMC 3021 good for?

DMC 3021 (Brown Grey very dark) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring bark patterns, gingerbread themes, tree trunks, earth tones. Its dark tone works well for standalone motifs and as part of larger palettes. This page includes color harmonies and similar shades to pair with 3021.

What fabric color works best with DMC 3021 (Brown Grey very dark)?

It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground. For reference, 3021 has a contrast ratio of about 11.3:1 on white fabric and 1.9:1 on black. As a soft warm shade, its warm cast advances toward the viewer — good for focal points, highlights, and cozy, inviting palettes.

Is there a metallic or satin version of DMC 3021?

No. DMC 3021 (Brown Grey very dark) exists only as Mouliné Spécial six-strand cotton — there is no Satin, Light Effects, or Étoile code for it. For a matching shine, blend one strand of the nearest Light Effects colour with two strands of the cotton.

What is the diamond painting drill code for DMC 3021?

Diamond Dotz D3021 and Diamond Drills USA AD3021 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 3021 is this colour regardless of drill brand — though each manufacturer dyes to the reference in its own batches, so avoid mixing brands inside one large block.

Which other thread brands come closest to DMC 3021?

Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Soie d'Alger 3435 Brown Grey very dark (100%), Ariadna 1812 (92%), Caron 0020 Black (88%). Percentages are perceptual colour distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.