Sapphire
SW 6963 · #4D78AC · LRV 18 — cool blue tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
- 1Hale Navy8
- 2Waterloo13
- 3Sapphire18
- 4Williamsburg Wedgwood Blue28
- 5Resolute Blue40
What Color Is Sapphire, Really?
Sapphire reads as a cool blue tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 6963 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Sapphire
Sapphire works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
How Lighting Changes Sapphire
With an LRV of 18, Sapphire is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Its blue undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Most complaints about Sapphire are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 6963 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behr | Baltic BlueHDC-FL13-6 · Behr | 0.7 | 18 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Athens Blue797 · Benjamin Moore | 2.6 | 19 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Deepest PeriwinkleP074 · Valspar | 1.9 | 18.9 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | CenotePPG17-02 · PPG / Glidden | 3.2 | 17 | Color page → |
| Glidden | CenotePPG17-02 · Glidden | 3.1 | 17 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Sapphire Waters139-6DB · Dutch Boy | 2.9 | 16 | Color page → |
Similar Sherwin-Williams Colors
The nearest shades to Sapphire within Sherwin-Williams's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #4D78AC in HSL space. Pair Sapphire with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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