O86 — Ripened Plum
Purples family#31212E
Below: Valdani O86 (Ripened Plum), a dark, muted purple shade with hex #31212E and RGB 49, 33, 46. Find its closest Madeira, J&P Coates, and Sullivans matches ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 similar Valdani shades and a full set of color harmony picks.
About Valdani O86
Valdani 6-Ply Floss
- Strands
- 6 ply
Brand Equivalents for Valdani O86
The five closest matches in each brand, ranked by CIEDE2000 perceptual color difference.
DMC
Anchor
Madeira
J&P Coates
Sullivans
Classic Colorworks
Weeks Dye Works
Gentle Art Sampler
Crescent Colors
Similar Valdani Colors to O86
Closest Valdani threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with Valdani O86
It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground.
Valdani O86 (Ripened Plum) is dark enough to define edges: stitchers reach for shades like it when a design needs crisp backstitch outlines or readable text.
Hand-dyed threads like Valdani O86 (Ripened Plum) are never perfectly flat; expect soft variegation. Stock up in a single dye lot up front, since later batches can read noticeably different.
Color Harmonies for Valdani O86
Valdani threads that pair well with O86, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Purples Family
ValdaniO86 in context with nearby shades from the purples color family.
About Valdani O86
Meet Valdani O86, Ripened Plum — a muted, dark thread in the purples family. The dramatic and quiet character of this shade lends itself well to amethyst tones and iris blooms. Stitchers frequently choose it for eggplant designs and plum themes in their projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Valdani O86 — what color is it?
The color of Valdani O86 is Ripened Plum — a dark purple thread (hex #31212E, RGB 49, 33, 46). It shows up most in royal motifs and floral details.
What is the DMC equivalent of Valdani O86?
The closest DMC match for Valdani O86 (Ripened Plum) is DMC 154 (Grape very dark) with a 67% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 939 (Navy Blue very dark, 59%) and DMC 823 (Navy Blue dark, 53%).
Which Valdani threads are close to O86?
The closest Valdani threads to O86 are O524 Maroon Moss (ΔE 3.62), M92 Black & Indigo (ΔE 5.83), and 86 Rich Plum (ΔE 7.05). These are useful substitutes when O86 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What is Valdani O86 good for?
Valdani O86 (Ripened Plum) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring royal motifs, floral details, elegant accents, grape clusters. 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 O86.
Is Valdani O86 (Ripened Plum) good for backstitching and outlines?
It's an excellent outline color. The depth of O86 defines edges and text cleanly where lighter threads would disappear into the fill; one strand is usually enough for backstitch.