diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/colors.test.ts b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/colors.test.ts
index f72f050e51a..5c18107ed5c 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/colors.test.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/colors.test.ts
@@ -76,12 +76,7 @@ describe('RadialGauge color utils', () => {
             view: { getFieldDisplayProcessor: jest.fn(() => jest.fn(() => ({ color: '#444444' }))) },
           })
         )
-      ).toEqual([
-        { color: '#444444', percent: 0 },
-        { color: '#FADE2A', percent: 0.5 },
-        { color: '#F2495C', percent: 0.8 },
-        { color: '#444444', percent: 1 },
-      ]);
+      ).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
 
     it('should map threshold colors correctly (with baseColor if displayProcessor does not return colors)', () => {
@@ -92,12 +87,7 @@ describe('RadialGauge color utils', () => {
           buildFieldDisplay(createField(FieldColorModeId.Thresholds)),
           '#FF0000'
         )
-      ).toEqual([
-        { color: '#FF0000', percent: 0 },
-        { color: '#FADE2A', percent: 0.5 },
-        { color: '#F2495C', percent: 0.8 },
-        { color: '#FF0000', percent: 1 },
-      ]);
+      ).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
 
     it('should return gradient colors for continuous color modes', () => {
@@ -108,62 +98,19 @@ describe('RadialGauge color utils', () => {
           buildFieldDisplay(createField(FieldColorModeId.ContinuousCividis)),
           '#00FF00'
         )
-      ).toEqual([
-        {
-          color: 'rgb(0, 32, 81)',
-          percent: 0,
-        },
-        {
-          color: 'rgb(17, 54, 108)',
-          percent: 0.125,
-        },
-        {
-          color: 'rgb(60, 77, 110)',
-          percent: 0.25,
-        },
-        {
-          color: 'rgb(98, 100, 111)',
-          percent: 0.375,
-        },
-        {
-          color: 'rgb(127, 124, 117)',
-          percent: 0.5,
-        },
-        {
-          color: 'rgb(154, 148, 120)',
-          percent: 0.625,
-        },
-        {
-          color: 'rgb(187, 175, 113)',
-          percent: 0.75,
-        },
-        {
-          color: 'rgb(226, 203, 92)',
-          percent: 0.875,
-        },
-        {
-          color: 'rgb(253, 234, 69)',
-          percent: 1,
-        },
-      ]);
+      ).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
 
     it('should return gradient colors for by-value color modes', () => {
       expect(
         buildGradientColors('auto', createTheme(), buildFieldDisplay(createField(FieldColorModeId.ContinuousBlues)))
-      ).toEqual([
-        { color: '#181b1f', percent: 0 },
-        { color: '#1F60C4', percent: 1 },
-      ]);
+      ).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
 
     it('should return gradient colors for fixed color mode', () => {
       expect(
         buildGradientColors('auto', createTheme(), buildFieldDisplay(createField(FieldColorModeId.Fixed)), '#442299')
-      ).toEqual([
-        { color: '#14175a', percent: 0 },
-        { color: '#a146da', percent: 1 },
-      ]);
+      ).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/colors.ts b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/colors.ts
index b15117f7b9f..58053d6cbe7 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/colors.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/colors.ts
@@ -67,17 +67,18 @@ export function buildGradientColors(
 
   // for fixed colors and other modes, we create a simple two-color gradient
   // we set the highest contrast color second based on the theme.
-  const darkerColor = tinycolor(baseColor).spin(-20).darken(5);
-  const lighterColor = tinycolor(baseColor).saturate(20).spin(20).brighten(10);
-  return theme.isDark
-    ? [
-        { color: darkerColor.darken(10).toString(), percent: 0 },
-        { color: lighterColor.lighten(10).toString(), percent: 1 },
-      ]
-    : [
-        { color: lighterColor.lighten(10).toString(), percent: 0 },
-        { color: darkerColor.toString(), percent: 1 },
-      ];
+  const darkerColor = tinycolor(baseColor).spin(5).darken(35).saturate(20);
+  const lighterColor = tinycolor(baseColor)
+    .spin(-5)
+    .brighten(theme.isDark ? 30 : 15)
+    .lighten(theme.isDark ? 35 : 15)
+    .desaturate(10);
+  return [
+    { color: theme.isDark ? darkerColor.toString() : lighterColor.toString(), percent: 0 },
+    { color: baseColor, percent: 0.45 },
+    { color: baseColor, percent: 0.55 },
+    { color: theme.isDark ? lighterColor.toString() : darkerColor.toString(), percent: 1 },
+  ];
 }
 
 function clamp(value: number, min = 0, max = 1) {