520 — Fern Green dark
Greens family#3A4734
Looking up DMC 520? It's Fern Green dark, a dark green shade (#3A4734 / RGB 58, 71, 52). Scroll down for Cosmo, Classic Colorworks, and Weeks Dye Works equivalents ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 close DMC alternatives and curated color harmonies.
About DMC 520
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Wild Wood
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 520
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 520 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 520 (Fern Green dark) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 520
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 520
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
DMC 520 (Fern Green dark) sits a hair from DMC 3362 (Pine Green dark) (ΔE 2.98) — close enough to blend a strand of each for a smooth gradient or to swap one for the other in a pinch.
DMC 520 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 Fern Green dark turns up.
DMC 520 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 520.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D520, Diamond Drills USA DMC520. A kit legend or drill bag marked 520 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 520
DMC threads that pair well with 520, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Greens Family
DMC520 in context with nearby shades from the greens color family.
About DMC 520
Meet DMC 520, Fern Green dark — a muted, dark thread in the greens family with true green tones. The shade reads as dramatic and quiet — a go-to choice for foliage and nature scenes. It also turns up in patterns built around holiday projects and landscape details.
Frequently Asked Questions
DMC 520 — what color is it?
The color of DMC 520 is Fern Green dark — a dark green thread (hex #3A4734, RGB 58, 71, 52). It shows up most in cactus motifs and shamrock designs.
What is the Anchor equivalent of DMC 520?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 520 (Fern Green dark) is Anchor 263 (Loden Green Dark) with a 80% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 1044 (Pistachio Green Ultra Very Dark, 79%) and Anchor 269 (Avocado Green Very Dark, 73%).
Which DMC threads are close to 520?
The closest DMC threads to 520 are 3362 Pine Green dark (ΔE 2.98), 935 Avocado Green dark (ΔE 3.97), and 3051 Green Grey dark (ΔE 5.59). These are useful substitutes when 520 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What is DMC 520 good for?
DMC 520 (Fern Green dark) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring cactus motifs, shamrock designs, frog patterns, moss textures. 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 520.
What fabric color works best with DMC 520 (Fern Green dark)?
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first. For reference, 520 has a contrast ratio of about 9.9:1 on white fabric and 2.1:1 on black. As a soft cool shade, its cool cast recedes visually — useful for backgrounds, shadows, water and sky, and calm, restful palettes.
Is there a metallic or satin version of DMC 520?
No. DMC 520 (Fern Green 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 color with two strands of the cotton.
What is the diamond painting drill code for DMC 520?
Diamond Dotz D520 and Diamond Drills USA DMC520 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 520 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 520?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Mill Hill Beads 10085 (97%), Needlepoint Inc Silk 298 Old English (91%), Waverly Wool 5001 Waverly Wool (91%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.