Cultural & Spiritual Significance

According to Color Psychology, teal is linked with trustworthiness and reliability, often chosen in branding for healthcare, technology, and education. Psychologically, teal is believed to reduce stress and create supportive environments that enhance focus and concentration.

Ancient Egypt

As noted in Octet Design Journal, teal was linked to the Nile River, symbolising fertility, renewal, and life-giving water. It was frequently featured in art, decoration, and appeared in frescoes, textiles, and glassware, embodying luxury and spirituality in both Eastern and Western traditions.

Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, teal textiles gained popularity among European nobility, with costly dyeing processes, making teal-coloured fabrics a marker of status and wealth.

Victorian Era

Teal became a popular choice in both fashion and interiors. It was frequently featured in wallpapers and furnishings to evoke calm, nature-inspired spaces.

Victorian fashion’s jewel-green craze (and cautionary tale). According to the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) article called “Free From Arsenic“, in the 19th century, there were only so many pigments that could create a vibrant green colour called Scheele’s Green in 1778, which was later substituted with a more long-lasting colour called Emerald Green in 1814.

Both of these colours/pigments contained arsenic, which is a naturally occurring metalloid found in the earth’s crust, also known as a toxin with potential health risks. However, both of these colours were very popular and were used in many ways and applications. From fashion to wallpaper and household paints to wax stoppers for wine bottles, as well as paper and textile dyes, and even in children’s toys, sweets.

During these times, there was a great desire for saturated emerald/blue-green dresses popularised by arsenical pigments (Scheele’s and Emerald Green colours); museum scholarship links these “poison” gowns to documented health risks, a pivotal chapter that still shapes how we talk about vivid green-teal tones in dress history as discussed in Dr. Alison Matthews David’s book: Fashion Victims, The Dangers of Dress Past and Present.

Art Deco (1920s–40s)

The Art Deco movement of the mid-20th century gave teal, especially cobalt teal, its first major popular uprising. According to Nauradika, cobalt teal gained its popularity in Art Deco design, appearing in furniture, decorative objects, and geometric patterns paired with luxurious brass, marble, and lacquer.

Art Deco glamour. In the 1920s–30s, jewel-tone blue-greens appeared in couture and textiles alongside geometric motifs and luxe materials, reinforcing teal’s association with modernity and opulence.

Mid-Century Modern (1950s–60s)

Reentering the scene in the 1950s–1960s, teal and its related colours like aqua and turquoise became popular in postwar modern interiors. Being associated with postwar optimism, contemporary elegance, and lifestyle integration, Teal returned as a domestic colour trend in appliances, Formica counters, and cabinetry. In fashion, jewel-tone colour appeared on couture gowns, everyday dresses, interiors, and even Hollywood films. As mentioned in the article “The Timeless Appeal of Teal: Evergreen Fashion Choices” by Clothes Color Guide, fashion icons like Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly wore teal, cementing it as a Hollywood-approved, elegant shade. It was both glamorous and accessible, making it one of the defining hues of mid-century style.

1980s–1990s Pop Culture

In the 1980s, interior design fully adopted “teal-on-teal” styling in furniture, walls, and decor, reflecting the boldness of fashion in home aesthetics, as mentioned in Mirror80. Teal had its most explosive moment during the 1990s, as it became a pop culture trend in design, particularly in North America. Teal dominated sports and streetwear, becoming the signature of the Charlotte Hornets, San Jose Sharks, and Jacksonville Jaguars. As one of the web-safe colours, it also shaped branding and early digital design, giving teal a reputation as the colour of technology and modernity.

Early 2000s to Today: Teal on Screen

In film and visual communication, teal found new fame in the orange-and-teal aesthetic. According to a freelance digital colourist, Maurizio Mercorella, in his article Teal and Orange Look: A Staple in Modern Cinema Color Grading the orange-and-teal aesthetic has established itself as a hallmark of contemporary cinema because together teal shadows with orange skin tones highlight contrast, richness, and visual dimension. This technique, first gaining traction in the early 2000s (notably in Bad Boys II), has since become a hallmark of modern Hollywood colour grading.

A Jewel Tone with Universal Appeal

Teal blends the calm depth of blue with the freshness of green, making it a universally flattering jewel tone across skin tones and product categories. It has long been a staple in fashion for eveningwear, accessories, and couture gowns, and today it remains a reliable choice for both designers and consumers, as mentioned in “The Timeless Appeal of Teal: Evergreen Fashion Choices“.

Luxury Marketing Power Today

Luxury houses continue to use teal as a premium neutral. A notable example is Tiffany & Co., whose iconic robin-egg blue (a close teal cousin) has symbolised exclusivity and elegance. “Since 1998, Tiffany Blue® has been registered as a color trademark by Tiffany and, in 2001, was standardized as a custom color created by Pantone® exclusively for Tiffany and not publicly available. No matter the medium the color is reproduced in, Tiffany’s proprietary hue remains consistent and instantly recognizable. The Pantone® color is called “1837 Blue,” named after Tiffany’s founding year”, from “Tiffany Blue“, Tiffany & Co. website.