diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index f89584b..b73533b 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
+const csscolors = require('css-color-names');
 
 const exists = (file) => {
   try {
@@ -10,14 +11,33 @@ const exists = (file) => {
   }
 }
 
+const reValue = new RegExp([
+  // ---- hex colors
+  '^#[0-9a-z]{3}$',                       // #def
+  '^#[0-9a-z]{4}$',                       // #def0
+  '^#[0-9a-z]{6}$',                       // #ddeeff
+  '^#[0-9a-z]{8}$',                       // #ddeeff00
+  // ---- numbers
+  '^[0-9]+(?:\\.[0-9]+)?(?:%|[a-z]+)?$',  // 12.34 + unit
+  // ---- function calls
+  '^[a-z][a-z0-9-_]*\\(',                 // foo(...)
+].join('|'), 'i');
+
+const looksLikeString = (value) => {
+  return !reValue.test(value) || csscolors[value];
+}
+
 const buildSassValue = (value) => {
   if (Array.isArray(value)) {
-    return `(${value.reduce((prev, cur) => prev + `"${cur}",`, '')})`;
+    return `(${value.reduce((prev, cur) => prev + `${buildSassValue(cur)},`, '')})`;
   }
   if (typeof value === "object") {
     return `(${buildSassMap(value)})`;
   }
-  return `"${value}"`;
+  if (looksLikeString(value)) {
+    return `"${value}"`;
+  }
+  return value;
 }
 
 const buildSassMap = (json) => {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 18da68a..c5770f4 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -24,5 +24,8 @@
   "devDependencies": {
     "jest": "^23.4.0",
     "node-sass": "^4.9.2"
+  },
+  "dependencies": {
+    "css-color-names": "0.0.4"
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/__snapshots__/index.test.js.snap b/tests/__snapshots__/index.test.js.snap
index 311fc5e..2d19b34 100644
--- a/tests/__snapshots__/index.test.js.snap
+++ b/tests/__snapshots__/index.test.js.snap
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
+exports[`json-importer async should not resolve Sass values to quoted strings 1`] = `
+"output {
+  contents: (\\"short-hex-color\\": #def, \\"short-hex-color-with-alpha\\": #def0, \\"long-hex-color\\": #ddeeff, \\"long-hex-color-with-alpha\\": #ddeeff00, \\"named-color\\": \\"red\\", \\"number\\": 16, \\"number-with-percentage\\": 16%, \\"number-with-word-unit\\": 16rem, \\"decimal\\": 12.34, \\"decimal-with-percentage\\": 12.34%, \\"decimal-with-word-unit\\": 12.34rem, \\"function-call\\": black, \\"string\\": \\"foo\\", \\"string-with-spaces\\": \\"who are you\\", \\"array\\": (16, 16px, 16%, 12.34, 12.34px, 12.34%, #def, black, \\"foo\\", \\"who are you\\"), \\"map\\": (\\"short-hex-color\\": #def, \\"short-hex-color-with-alpha\\": #def0, \\"string\\": \\"foo\\", \\"string-with-spaces\\": \\"who are you\\")); }
+"
+`;
+
 exports[`json-importer async should resolve flat json strings as Sass map 1`] = `
 "output {
   contents: (\\"color\\": \\"red\\", \\"size\\": \\"small\\"); }
@@ -20,7 +26,13 @@ exports[`json-importer async should resolve json files in includePaths 1`] = `
 
 exports[`json-importer async should resolve nested json strings as Sass map 1`] = `
 "output {
-  contents: (\\"colors\\": (\\"red\\": \\"#f00\\", \\"blue\\": \\"#00f\\"), \\"sizes\\": (\\"small\\": \\"16px\\", \\"big\\": \\"30px\\")); }
+  contents: (\\"colors\\": (\\"red\\": #f00, \\"blue\\": #00f), \\"sizes\\": (\\"small\\": 16px, \\"big\\": 30px)); }
+"
+`;
+
+exports[`json-importer sync should not resolve Sass values to quoted strings 1`] = `
+"output {
+  contents: (\\"short-hex-color\\": #def, \\"short-hex-color-with-alpha\\": #def0, \\"long-hex-color\\": #ddeeff, \\"long-hex-color-with-alpha\\": #ddeeff00, \\"named-color\\": \\"red\\", \\"number\\": 16, \\"number-with-percentage\\": 16%, \\"number-with-word-unit\\": 16rem, \\"decimal\\": 12.34, \\"decimal-with-percentage\\": 12.34%, \\"decimal-with-word-unit\\": 12.34rem, \\"function-call\\": black, \\"string\\": \\"foo\\", \\"string-with-spaces\\": \\"who are you\\", \\"array\\": (16, 16px, 16%, 12.34, 12.34px, 12.34%, #def, black, \\"foo\\", \\"who are you\\"), \\"map\\": (\\"short-hex-color\\": #def, \\"short-hex-color-with-alpha\\": #def0, \\"string\\": \\"foo\\", \\"string-with-spaces\\": \\"who are you\\")); }
 "
 `;
 
@@ -44,6 +56,6 @@ exports[`json-importer sync should resolve json files in includePaths 1`] = `
 
 exports[`json-importer sync should resolve nested json strings as Sass map 1`] = `
 "output {
-  contents: (\\"colors\\": (\\"red\\": \\"#f00\\", \\"blue\\": \\"#00f\\"), \\"sizes\\": (\\"small\\": \\"16px\\", \\"big\\": \\"30px\\")); }
+  contents: (\\"colors\\": (\\"red\\": #f00, \\"blue\\": #00f), \\"sizes\\": (\\"small\\": 16px, \\"big\\": 30px)); }
 "
 `;
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/values.json b/tests/fixtures/values.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8fac3fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/values.json
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+{
+  "short-hex-color": "#def",
+  "short-hex-color-with-alpha": "#def0",
+  "long-hex-color": "#ddeeff",
+  "long-hex-color-with-alpha": "#ddeeff00",
+  "named-color": "red",
+  "number": "16",
+  "number-with-percentage": "16%",
+  "number-with-word-unit": "16rem",
+  "decimal": "12.34",
+  "decimal-with-percentage": "12.34%",
+  "decimal-with-word-unit": "12.34rem",
+  "function-call": "hsl(0,0,0)",
+  "string": "foo",
+  "string-with-spaces": "who are you",
+  "array": [
+    16,
+    "16px",
+    "16%",
+    12.34,
+    "12.34px",
+    "12.34%",
+    "#def",
+    "hsl(0,0,0)",
+    "foo",
+    "who are you"
+  ],
+  "map": {
+    "short-hex-color": "#def",
+    "short-hex-color-with-alpha": "#def0",
+    "string": "foo",
+    "string-with-spaces": "who are you"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/index.test.js b/tests/index.test.js
index 6c454c5..4b180be 100644
--- a/tests/index.test.js
+++ b/tests/index.test.js
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ describe('json-importer', () => {
         func(generate('tests/fixtures/list.json'))
           .then(result => expect(result).toMatchSnapshot())
       ));
+      it('should not resolve Sass values to quoted strings', () => (
+        func(generate('tests/fixtures/values.json'))
+          .then(result => expect(result).toMatchSnapshot())
+      ));
       it('should resolve json files in includePaths', () => (
         func(generate('fixtures/flat.json'), { includePaths: ['tests']})
           .then(result => expect(result).toMatchSnapshot())