553 — Violet
Purples family#924F92
Need details on DMC 553? This medium, muted purple shade (Violet) is hex #924F92, RGB 146, 79, 146. Cross-brand equivalents in Weeks Dye Works, Gentle Art Sampler, and Valdani are listed below — ranked by perceptual similarity — alongside 8 nearby DMC shades and color-theory harmony pairings.
About DMC 553
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Violet Amethyst
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 553
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 553 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 553 (Violet) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 553
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 553
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
DMC 553 (Violet) sits a hair from DMC 33 (Fuchsia) (ΔE 2.46) — close enough to blend a strand of each for a smooth gradient or to swap one for the other in a pinch.
DMC 553 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 Violet turns up.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D553, Diamond Drills USA DMC553. A kit legend or drill bag marked 553 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 553
DMC threads that pair well with 553, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Purples Family
DMC553 in context with nearby shades from the purples color family.
About DMC 553
Meet DMC 553, Violet — a muted, medium thread in the purples family. Stitchers describe its character as restrained and earthy, perfect for amethyst tones and iris blooms. It blends comfortably into projects centered on eggplant designs and plum themes.
Frequently Asked Questions
DMC 553 — what color is it?
The color of DMC 553 is Violet — a medium purple thread (hex #924F92, RGB 146, 79, 146). It shows up most in royal motifs and floral details.
What is the Anchor equivalent of DMC 553?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 553 (Violet) is Anchor 92 (Purple Medium) with a 75% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 99 (Violet Medium Dark, 67%) and Anchor 100 (Violet Dark, 65%).
Which DMC threads are close to 553?
The closest DMC threads to 553 are 33 Fuchsia (ΔE 2.46), 208 Lavender very dark (ΔE 5.4), and 552 Violet medium (ΔE 7.72). These are useful substitutes when 553 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What is DMC 553 good for?
DMC 553 (Violet) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring royal motifs, floral details, elegant accents, grape clusters. 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 553.
What fabric color works best with DMC 553 (Violet)?
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, 553 has a contrast ratio of about 5.6:1 on white fabric and 3.8:1 on black. As a soft cool shade, its cool cast recedes visually — useful for backgrounds, shadows, water and sky, and calm, restful palettes.
Does DMC 553 come in a satin, metallic, or Étoile version?
Yes. The same number is made as DMC Satin S553. 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 553?
Diamond Dotz D553 and Diamond Drills USA DMC553 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 553 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 553?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Anchor Marlitt 858 Lavender medium (95%), Bella Lusso 0454 Alexandrite (92%), Riolis 535 (86%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.