986 — Forest Green very dark
Greens family#25502C
Looking up DMC 986? It's Forest Green very dark, a dark green shade (#25502C / RGB 37, 80, 44). 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 986
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Boxwood
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 986
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 986 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 986 (Forest Green very dark) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 986
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 986
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
DMC 986 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 Forest Green very dark turns up.
DMC 986 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 986.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D986, Diamond Drills USA DMC986. A kit legend or drill bag marked 986 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 986
DMC threads that pair well with 986, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Greens Family
DMC986 in context with nearby shades from the greens color family.
About DMC 986
Meet DMC 986, Forest Green very dark — a moderately saturated, dark thread in the greens family with true green tones. The shade reads as strong and confident — 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 986 — what color is it?
The color of DMC 986 is Forest Green very dark — a dark green thread (hex #25502C, RGB 37, 80, 44). It shows up most in cactus motifs and shamrock designs.
What is the Anchor equivalent of DMC 986?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 986 (Forest Green very dark) is Anchor 246 (Pistachio Green Very Dark) with a 97% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 923 (Christmas Green Very Dark, 74%) and Anchor 212 (Jade Very Dark, 68%).
Which DMC threads are close to 986?
The closest DMC threads to 986 are 3345 Hunter Green dark (ΔE 5.14), 3818 Emerald Green ultra very dark (ΔE 5.77), and 505 Jade Green (ΔE 6.14). These are useful substitutes when 986 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What is DMC 986 good for?
DMC 986 (Forest Green very 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 986.
What fabric color works best with DMC 986 (Forest Green very 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, 986 has a contrast ratio of about 9.3:1 on white fabric and 2.3:1 on black. As a 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 986?
No. DMC 986 (Forest Green 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 color with two strands of the cotton.
What is the diamond painting drill code for DMC 986?
Diamond Dotz D986 and Diamond Drills USA DMC986 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 986 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 986?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are PNK Kirov 4111 (90%), Planet Earth 063 myrtle (89%), Coco F15 (89%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.