Caviar (SW 6990) vs Black Magic (SW 6991)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- About the same: LRV 3 vs 3.
- Warmer
- About the same, both neutral gray (Lab b* -0.5 vs -0.5).
- North rooms
- About the same: both keep their brightness and color about equally (L* 16.4 vs 15.9 in north light).
- Trim that works
- Natural White SW 9542, #ECEBE8, LRV 83: the Sherwin-Williams white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 0.3, indistinguishable. At 0.3, pick on price, finish or availability.
See each color
Caviar (SW 6990) is about as light as Black Magic (SW 6991) and about as warm: LRV 3 vs 3, deltaE 0.3 (indistinguishable).
Side by side
| Measure | Caviar | Black Magic | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | SW 6990 | SW 6991 | |
| Hex | #313031 | #323132 | |
| RGB | 49, 48, 49 | 50, 49, 50 | |
| HSL | 300°, 1%, 19% | 300°, 1%, 19% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Lab L* | 20.0 | 20.5 | −0.5 |
| Lab a* | 0.7 | 0.7 | +0.0 |
| Lab b* | -0.5 | -0.5 | 0.0 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Neutral | |
| Temperature | neutral | neutral | |
| Color family | Black | Black |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Caviar (SW 6990), published as #313031
#23282F
#3F3831
Black Magic (SW 6991), published as #323132
#242930
#403932
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Which should you pick
Rules of thumb computed from the LRV and Lab values in the table above; no room test was done.
- Pick Caviar (SW 6990) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 0 LRV points lighter (3 vs 3), so it bounces back more of the limited light
Closest matches to Caviar in other brands
Closest matches to Black Magic in other brands
Common questions
- Is Caviar the same color as Black Magic?
- They are indistinguishable: a CIEDE2000 difference of 0.3. Most people cannot tell Caviar and Black Magic apart.
- Which is lighter, Caviar or Black Magic?
- Neither: both have an LRV of 3.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: LRV and hex as published by the manufacturer, via PaintDB (CC BY 4.0). Color differences are CIEDE2000 values computed by this site from the hex values (data snapshot 2026-10-01). Color names and codes belong to their manufacturers.