When we think of oranges we instantly think of the fruit. You think of farmers or Tropicana Orange Juice and when that thought goes, the color of orange becomes your next association to the word orange. The orange is a very old fruit that dates back to 500 B.C. It originated near the South China Sea and traveled throughout Malaysia, India, East Africa and into the Mediterranean regions, as well as Europe. Oranges were know as the fruit of the gods and only the wealthy and aristocrats were privileged to the fruit. This is part of the reason why oranges are seen in a lot of Renaissance paintings.

In the 20th Century, the orange fell from grace in the aristocrats eyes and became associated with fast food restaurants. But then orange took another turn when it became popular in the fashion world for its vibrant color. And now orange has become the color of joy, optimism, fun, and, yes, even elegance when using the right color orange such as terra cotta.

So lets get to some colors of orange. Many of the shades of orange are actually names of foods: melon, carrot, pumpkin, nectarine, tangerine, and others.

Vibrant Orange: A very bright orange, calls for attention, it's a very high visibility color. Vibrant orange is used in ads that are trying to get attention. It is also used to show foods that are spicy or tangy or ads that need some zest. Vibrant orange is also used a lot for children. It brings out the fun for them and brings that whimsical side to the color.

Red Orange: There are oranges that have more red in it. By adding that red to the orange, it gives the color a more sexy, exotic appeal. These tones bring out the wild, provocative side of the color. Corral, for example, symbolizes the energy of life force and desire.

Warm Orange: A warm orange brings out tropical feelings in a person. It shows warmth and comfort, tropical sunsets, or the fire embers. It can bring out the very mellow feelings in a person.

Terracotta: Terracotta orange is a very earth color. You see it a lot in homes and in gardens, or stones because it is a very welcoming color. If you think of Italian villas, terracotta is one of the first colors that come to mind because of the warm country nature.

Peach: A peach orange is modest, nurturing, and intimate. It is the softer nature of the color and brings an inviting sense to it. 

These are a few ways orange is used to represent different things. It is one of the colors that has had the most welcomed comeback in years and doesn’t look like it will be leaving anytime soon.

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