DMC 498 — Dark Red

Quick Conversion Table

Brand	Equivalent	Match	Buy links
Anchor	1005	exact	Amazon → LoveCrafts →
Madeira	0511	exact	Amazon → LoveCrafts →
Cosmo ⚠	242	close	Amazon → LoveCrafts →
Sullivans	45108	close	Amazon → LoveCrafts →
J&P Coats	3000	close	Amazon → LoveCrafts →
Dimensions	13072	close	Amazon → LoveCrafts →
Bucilla	6215	close	Amazon → LoveCrafts →
Candamar	6021	close	Amazon → LoveCrafts →

DMC 498 Dark Red: Wine, Garnet, and Old-World Elegance

There's a reason wine colors never go out of style. DMC 498 is the cross-stitch equivalent of a deep Cabernet — rich, complex, and sophisticated. At hex #A7132B, it occupies that gorgeous territory between true red and burgundy, dark enough to suggest luxury but saturated enough to still register as decidedly red rather than brown or maroon.

This is a color with history. In traditional embroidery from the 17th and 18th centuries, deep reds like this were among the most prized colors because the dyes required to produce them (kermes, cochineal, madder) were expensive and labor-intensive. DMC 498 channels that heritage. It looks at home in period reproduction samplers, Jacobean crewelwork-inspired designs, and Tudor-era motifs. When you want your stitching to evoke candlelit manor houses and velvet drapes, 498 is your starting point.

In color theory terms, 498 is a low-value, high-saturation red with a strong blue undertone. That blue base is what gives it its garnet quality and distinguishes it from brownish dark reds. It pairs naturally with golds (DMC 3820, 3852), deep greens (DMC 890, 3345), and creams (DMC Ecru, 712) — essentially the palette of a Renaissance painting.

Practical uses extend well beyond historical themes. DMC 498 is the go-to for stitching red wine in a glass, garnets and rubies in jewelry designs, dark roses past their peak bloom, and autumn maple leaves at their deepest. It provides the shadow tone in many red-gradient palettes, serving as the dark anchor alongside DMC 321 (mid-tone) and DMC 666 (highlight).

One quality that makes 498 interesting to work with: it reads very differently on light versus dark fabrics. On white Aida, it looks obviously red. On cream or tan linen, it shifts toward burgundy. On black fabric, it practically glows like a gemstone. Consider your fabric color as part of the design when working with this shade.

Cross-Brand Options for DMC 498

Deep reds can be tricky to match because the boundary between "dark red," "garnet," and "burgundy" is subjective, and every brand draws the line slightly differently.

Anchor 1005 is an exact match. Anchor's version captures the same blue-based garnet quality, and stitchers generally find these interchangeable without visible difference.

Madeira 0511 is also exact. Madeira's dark red has a comparable depth, though the thread's characteristic sheen can make it appear slightly more luminous than DMC's matte-finish version — an effect that actually works in 498's favor, enhancing the gemstone quality.

Cosmo 242 is a close match. As with other Cosmo reds, the shade may lean a touch warmer. For a deep red like this, the warmth shift can push the color perceptibly toward maroon, which might or might not suit your project.

Sullivans 45108 is listed as close. This shade works for standalone projects but should be compared in person if you're matching to an existing piece.

Within DMC's own range, 498 has close neighbors worth understanding:

498 vs. 815: 815 (Medium Garnet) is one step darker and more muted — less red, more brown. Use 815 for shadows on 498, or on its own for an even more aged/vintage feel.
498 vs. 816: 816 (Garnet) falls between 498 and 815. These three form a natural dark-red gradient.
498 vs. 321: 321 is brighter and more festive. 498 is deeper and more formal. They're different moods of red, not different depths of the same mood.

Reference quality

How We Validate This Color Record

Use this page as a reference card for DMC 498: the structured data, quick conversions, and long-form copy are all tied back to the same stored color record.

Methodology: This page renders DMC 498, its hex value, and every brand equivalent from the site's source-of-truth color record, then checks long-form body copy against those same stored fields.
Verification status: Source-field checked. The page content is audited against the stored DMC number, brand equivalents, and match-quality labels before publishing.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-20
Approximation warning: Screen hex values, thread photos, and cross-brand conversions are reference aids. Dye lots, thread sheen, and fabric color can still shift the result in hand.

Read the Stitchies methodology

Decision guide

When to use the DMC 498 reference page

This page should help you decide faster between palette planning, brand substitution, and shade comparison without turning the color record into a thin lookup page.

Best for

+ Palette planning when you want the stored DMC 498 Dark Red record, hex value #A7132B, and linked brand equivalents in one place.
+ Checking the quickest cross-brand shortlist before you buy floss, compare stash substitutes, or route into a more specific conversion page.
+ Finding nearby shades in the reds family before you commit to accents, shading, or background blends.

Watch for

! Screen previews are only reference aids. Dark Red can shift on real fabric because thread sheen, stitch coverage, and room lighting change how the color reads.
! A stored equivalent is still a shortlist, not a guarantee that two brands will disappear into each other in the same stitched motif.
! Older charts, discontinued kit floss, and dye-lot variation can all introduce small but visible differences that the page cannot detect for you.

Before you commit

Confirm the role of DMC 498 Dark Red: decide whether you need an exact hero shade, a forgiving background, or a rough stash substitute.
Compare on project fabric: view the skein or stitched sample on the same fabric count and color you will actually use.
Use the linked conversion pages next: open the brand-specific pages when you need match-quality caveats before substituting away from the DMC reference.