Lilac
Retired1993-1995 · Color No. 113
Introducing Lilac, made by The Fiesta Tableware Company from 1993 to 1995. It's a delicate and enchanting shade of purple, reminiscent of blooming lilac flowers in springtime. Lilac adds a touch of elegance and romance to any tablescape. Mix and match Lilac with colors like White and Sunflower for a soft and feminine table setting, or pair it with Shamrock and Tangerine for a vibrant and playful combination.
Production
Lilac was retired in 1995, so it is a hunt for secondhand pieces now. Fiesta Factory Direct is where the colors still being made are, if you are filling a set.
Shop Fiesta Factory Direct (opens in a new tab)Notes on Lilac
Lilac is the one to know about. It was Fiesta's first purple, introduced in 1993 - nearly sixty years into the line - and it lasted only two years before being retired in 1995. That short run makes it one of the hardest Post 86 colors to assemble a full set in, and prices reflect it. It's a mid-depth purple with real blue in it, more muted than you might expect from the name. Lavender, the 2026 anniversary color, is the closest thing Fiesta has made since, and it's noticeably lighter. If you find Lilac in the wild at a reasonable price, that's a good day.
Using Lilac on a table
Lilac has enough color to be noticed without taking over, which makes it a good second or third piece - a salad plate or a serving bowl rather than the whole setting. Its mid lightness (L* 48) means most food reads against it without either washing out or vanishing. It separates strongly from a white cloth (4.8:1) and less so from dark wood.
Below, 5 combinations built only from colors Fiesta has actually produced. Each says which rule it follows, and which pieces you can still buy today.
The pairing in its own description
Named in the descriptionThese colors are named alongside Lilac in this guide's description of it.
Buy these to go with it
Lilac was retired in 1995, but these are all in production now - the set you can actually finish buying.
Opposite on the wheel
Chartreuse sits roughly opposite Lilac in hue, which is the highest-contrast pairing the palette offers. The neutrals keep it from shouting.
- White
- Chartreuse, 1997-1999
-
Your color Lilac
- Black
All purple
Every color here is from the purple family, arranged light to dark. A single-family table reads calm and deliberate rather than busy.
Three-way split
Apricot and Jade sit about a third of the way around the color wheel from Lilac in each direction. Evenly spaced hues stay lively without any one taking over.
Where Lilac sits in the line
Lilac was the first purple Fiesta made; 4 more have followed it. It lasted 2 years where the median for its era is 7, which is why it turns up so rarely. What else happened at the company in 1993 →
Closest colors in the palette
Ranked by CIEDE2000 (ΔE) against Lilac. Under about ΔE 5 two colors are hard to tell apart side by side - useful when you are identifying an unmarked piece.
On the table alongside Lilac
10 colors were in production at the same time: