PDs, you make an important point: variation of color, scale, tone, etc. is only as good as the monitor you are view it from as well as the camera it was taken with. And that's even before our own eye sees something...everyone perceives color differently. What I call taupe, someone else might call beige or grey. I think Katbran's example of her drop looking like 18k gold is a good one. But it looks like that particular alloy of gold, which may be quite different from other 18k gold. BTW, Kathleen, that drop is GORGEOUS.
To the original poster, I suggest that you contact the vendor and see if they might exchange for a darker strand more to your expectation.