3685 — Mauve dark
Pinks family#6A1836
Need details on DMC 3685? This medium-dark, vivid pink shade (Mauve dark) is hex #6A1836, RGB 106, 24, 54. Cross-brand equivalents in Madeira, J&P Coates, and Sullivans are listed below — ranked by perceptual similarity — alongside 8 nearby DMC shades and color-theory harmony pairings.
About DMC 3685
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Metallic Bramble
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 3685
The five closest matches in each brand, ranked by CIEDE2000 perceptual color difference.
Anchor
Madeira
J&P Coates
Sullivans
Classic Colorworks
Weeks Dye Works
Gentle Art Sampler
Valdani
Crescent Colors
Closest match to DMC 3685 in 67 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 color distance: 93% and up is hard to tell apart, under 75% is a visible shift.
More stranded cotton
Hand-dyed & overdyed
Silk
Wool for needlepoint
Metallic, rayon & specialty
Other threads & beads
Fuse beads
Yarn for crochet & knitting
Need the runners-up, or a whole pattern converted? The thread conversion chart ranks every alternative for DMC 3685 (Mauve dark) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 3685
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 3685
It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground.
DMC 3685 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 Mauve dark turns up.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D3685, Diamond Drills USA DMC3685. A kit legend or drill bag marked 3685 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 3685
DMC threads that pair well with 3685, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Pinks Family
DMC3685 in context with nearby shades from the pinks color family.
About DMC 3685
Mauve dark (catalog code DMC 3685) is a medium-dark, vivid shade from the pinks family with rose pink tones. With a strong and rich quality, this thread works beautifully in peony petals and flamingo designs. You will find this color at home in patterns featuring tulip blooms and cosmetics-themed designs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color is DMC 3685?
DMC 3685 is called Mauve dark. It's a medium-dark pink shade (hex #6A1836, RGB 106, 24, 54) in the pinks family, commonly used for romantic motifs, blush accents, and similar motifs.
What's the closest Anchor match for DMC 3685?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 3685 (Mauve dark) is Anchor 1029 (Plum Dark) with a 77% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 1028 (Dusty Plum Dark, 71%) and Anchor 70 (Dusty Plum Very Dark, 70%).
What's a good substitute for DMC 3685?
The closest DMC threads to 3685 are 915 Plum dark (ΔE 4), 3803 Mauve medium (ΔE 4.28), and 902 Garnet very dark (ΔE 4.57). These are useful substitutes when 3685 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What projects use DMC 3685?
Cross-stitchers pull DMC 3685 (Mauve dark) for charts featuring romantic motifs, blush accents, cherry blossoms, ballet themes. The medium-dark tone reads cleanly on its own and slots into multi-color palettes — see the color harmonies below for pairing ideas.
What fabric color works best with DMC 3685 (Mauve dark)?
It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground. For reference, 3685 has a contrast ratio of about 11.7:1 on white fabric and 1.8:1 on black. As a warm shade, its warm cast advances toward the viewer — good for focal points, highlights, and cozy, inviting palettes.
Does DMC 3685 come in a satin, metallic, or Étoile version?
Yes. The same number is made as DMC Satin S3685, DMC Light Effects E3685. The base shade is matched across the lines, but the fiber changes the look: Satin is a high-sheen rayon, Light Effects is a metallic polyester most people blend one strand at a time, and Étoile is cotton with a sparkle filament that stitches like ordinary floss.
What is the diamond painting drill code for DMC 3685?
Diamond Dotz D3685 and Diamond Drills USA DMC3685 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 3685 is this color 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 3685?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Madeira Rayon 1389 Bordeaux (88%), Paternayan 1900 American Red (87%), Rainbow Gallery S1067 Dark Raspberry (87%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.