Variations in colour can occur during the manufacturing process. This is highly unlikely in more recent times, but if you are looking for items in a pattern 20 years or older, it can be expected that certain manufacturers, or patterns with hand applied decoration may have variations in depth and/or strength of colour.
A prime example would be Denby Pottery. Patterns such as Gypsy & Arabesque can show a wide variety of colour, both in depth and in terms of how it is applied.
If you are looking for an exact match to an item in a pattern known for varying degrees of colour/decoration, please contact us and we will do our best to match up to what you're looking for