The colors and textures used in heraldry are called "tinctures," and are divided into Metals, Colours (note the spelling), and Furs. When describing arms, use the proper terms for tinctures.
Difficulty Level: easy Time Required: 5 minutes
Here's How:
- Or: the metal gold, often displayed as yellow
- Argent: the metal silver, often displayed as white
- Gules: the colour red
- Azure: the colour blue
- Vert: the colour green
- Purpure: the colour purple
- Sable: the colour black
- Tawny or tenné: orange, or a mixture of orange and red; a rare colour
- Sanguine or murrey: a mixture of purple and red; a rare colour
- Ermine: a white fur with black "tails"
- Ermines or contra-ermine: a black fur with white "tails"
- Vair: blue and white fur "bells"
- Vairy of ___ and ___: a fur similar to vair in design but with different colors.
- Heraldic rules state you can't place a colour on a colour or a metal on a metal, but this was for visibility. There are exceptions; don't assume you're mistaken if you see two such tinctures together.
- Remember, there was no such thing as standardization of colors. You'll see a variety of shades, so use your best judgment in deciding if a color is azure or purpure, gules or sanguine.
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