Celeste (colour)
Encyclopedia
Celeste is the colloquial name for the turquoise
blue
colour associated with the Italian Bianchi Bicycle Company
and sometimes known as Bianchi Green. In Italian, as the name indicates (Celestial
), it is an attempt to reproduce the colour of clear skies - Sky blue.
). Contradictory myths say celeste is the colour of the Milan
sky; the eye colour of a former queen for whom Edoardo Bianchi made a bicycle; and that it was a mixture of surplus military paint.
The exact shade of turquoise used by the company has varied over time, but has always been described as Celeste. In Anglophone countries Celeste is sometimes reported as Pantone
-#332 (Seafoam green) (or #333), and with various other shades.
Turquoise
Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl648·4. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue...
blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
colour associated with the Italian Bianchi Bicycle Company
Bianchi Bicycles
F.I.V. Edoardo Bianchi S.p.A is the world's oldest bicycle-making company still in existence, having pioneered the use of equal-sized wheels with pneumatic rubber tires in 1885. It was founded in Italy in 1885. It produced cars and commercial vehicles from 1900 to 1939; and motorcycles from 1897 to...
and sometimes known as Bianchi Green. In Italian, as the name indicates (Celestial
Celestial
- Science :* Sky objects, bodies and the following astronomy terms:** Astronomical objects, see for detailed description of celestial bodies and objects** Celestia, a 3D astronomy program that allows users to travel through the universe...
), it is an attempt to reproduce the colour of clear skies - Sky blue.
Bianchi bicycles
Bianchi bicycles are traditionally painted celeste, also known as Bianchi Green (and sometimes, incorrectly Tiffany BlueTiffany Blue
Tiffany Blue is the colloquial name for the light medium robin egg blue color associated with Tiffany & Co., the New York City jewelry company.The Tiffany Blue color is protected as a color trademark by Tiffany & Co...
). Contradictory myths say celeste is the colour of the Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
sky; the eye colour of a former queen for whom Edoardo Bianchi made a bicycle; and that it was a mixture of surplus military paint.
The exact shade of turquoise used by the company has varied over time, but has always been described as Celeste. In Anglophone countries Celeste is sometimes reported as Pantone
Pantone
Pantone Inc. is a corporation headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey, USA. The company is best known for its Pantone Matching System , a proprietary color space...
-#332 (Seafoam green) (or #333), and with various other shades.
Italy
The Italian Wikipedia cites Il dizionario dei colori: nomi e valori in quadricromia by S.Fantetti and C.Petracchi and describes multiple variants of Celeste as shown below, plus details as defined in the infobox above.Gradations of Celeste
| colour | name | C | M | Y | K | R | G | B | HEX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| celeste (sky blue, heavenly blue) | 030 | 000 | 000 | 000 | 178 | 255 | 255 | B2FFFF | |
| celeste polvere (dusty) | 010 | 000 | 000 | 000 | 230 | 255 | 255 | E6FFFF | |
| celeste pallido (pale) | 020 | 000 | 000 | 000 | 204 | 255 | 255 | CCFFFF | |
| celeste velato (veiled / overcast) | 020 | 010 | 010 | 000 | 204 | 230 | 230 | CCE6E6 | |
| celeste opaco (opaque) | 050 | 020 | 020 | 000 | 128 | 204 | 204 | 80CCCC |
External links
- Bianchi Corporate site
- Bianchi USA US site
- International English-language site
- Sea Foam Green