523 — Fern Green light
Greens family#8E9773
Below: DMC 523 (Fern Green light), a medium, subdued green shade with hex #8E9773 and RGB 142, 151, 115. Find its closest Gentle Art Sampler, Valdani, and Crescent Colors matches ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 similar DMC shades and a full set of color harmony picks.
About DMC 523
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Green Ash
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 523
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 523 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 523 (Fern Green light) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 523
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 523
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
DMC 523 (Fern Green light) sits a hair from DMC 3053 (Green Grey) (ΔE 2.6) — close enough to blend a strand of each for a smooth gradient or to swap one for the other in a pinch.
DMC 523 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 light turns up.
DMC 523 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 523.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D523, Diamond Drills USA DMC523. A kit legend or drill bag marked 523 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 523
DMC threads that pair well with 523, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Greens Family
DMC523 in context with nearby shades from the greens color family.
About DMC 523
Known as Fern Green light, DMC 523 is a medium, subdued shade sitting in the greens family with yellow-green tones. The restrained and earthy mood of this color makes it a natural fit for landscape details and ferns. Expect to see it used in herb gardens and forest canopies across many cross-stitch charts.
Frequently Asked Questions
DMC 523 — what color is it?
The color of DMC 523 is Fern Green light — a medium green thread (hex #8E9773, RGB 142, 151, 115). It shows up most in moss textures and avocado themes.
What is the Anchor equivalent of DMC 523?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 523 (Fern Green light) is Anchor 859 (Fern Green Light) with a 83% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 266 (Avocado Green Light, 67%) and Anchor 261 (Laurel Green Medium, 62%).
Which DMC threads are close to 523?
The closest DMC threads to 523 are 3053 Green Grey (ΔE 2.6), 524 Fern Green very light (ΔE 4.19), and 3364 Pine Green (ΔE 5.01). These are useful substitutes when 523 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What is DMC 523 good for?
DMC 523 (Fern Green light) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring moss textures, avocado themes, foliage, nature scenes. Its medium tone works well for standalone motifs and as part of larger palettes. This page includes color harmonies and similar shades to pair with 523.
What fabric color works best with DMC 523 (Fern Green light)?
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, 523 has a contrast ratio of about 3.1:1 on white fabric and 6.8:1 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 523?
No. DMC 523 (Fern Green light) 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 523?
Diamond Dotz D523 and Diamond Drills USA DMC523 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 523 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 523?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Gamma 0091 св-сер-зеленый (99%), Soie d'Alger 3723 Vert Lys (95%), Needle Necessities 141 Spanish Moss (94%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.