Sparkling Emerald vs Iron Ore
Where Sparkling Emerald belongs to Behr's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Sparkling Emerald reads as blue-green, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Sparkling Emerald (LRV 9) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Sparkling Emerald runs green while Iron Ore is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 32.4, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Sparkling Emerald vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Sparkling Emerald and Iron Ore in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The brightness difference is modest but present — Sparkling Emerald gives the walls a little more lift.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Sparkling Emerald reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Sparkling Emerald reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Sparkling Emerald vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Sparkling Emerald on one side and Iron Ore on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Sparkling Emerald comparisons
See how Sparkling Emerald stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 9, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Sparkling Emerald encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 9, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 9), opening up a space where Sparkling Emerald encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 9, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 9), opening up a space where Sparkling Emerald encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 9), opening up a space where Sparkling Emerald encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 9, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (9 vs 4) makes Sparkling Emerald the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 9), opening up a space where Sparkling Emerald encloses it.
Bancha reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 9), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 9), opening up a space where Sparkling Emerald encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 9, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 21 vs 9, Artichoke is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 9), opening up a space where Sparkling Emerald encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 9), opening up a space where Sparkling Emerald encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Sparkling Emerald encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 9, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 9), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 9 and 8, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 9), opening up a space where Sparkling Emerald encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 9, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 9), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 9), opening up a space where Sparkling Emerald encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 9, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 9 vs 7), so neither reads brighter in a room.