Praetorian Beam Royal

Latin praetōriānus, of the praetor — adjectival suffix, referring to the Roman-Imperial elite guard-cohorts. As a color modifier, praetorian implies a saturated-and-elite-and-imperial-guard quality, the deep-rich color of Roman-Praetorian-Guard elite-imperial-bodyguard scarlet-tunic-and-bronze-armor military-formation. Sits at the bold-and-formal end of the grid, parallel to spartan and imperial.

Old English bēam, tree-or-ray-of-light. As a color modifier, beam implies a focused-and-shaft-of-light quality, the visual register of lighthouse-and-cathedral-clerestory-beam hand-focused-and-shaft-of-light lighthouse-and-cathedral-clerestory-and-search-light beamed-and-focused-and-shaft-of-light surfaces under lighthouse-and-cathedral-clerestory-and-search-light coastal-headland-and-Gothic-nave-and-night-sky directed-light. Sits at the modifier-and-mood end of the grid, parallel to ray and gleam in usage.

The blue of European royal court dress and regalia from the late seventeenth century forward — the color of British peers' robes, French royal sashes, the lining of the crown-jewel cases. The color refers to a saturated, slightly violet-shifted blue with the matte finish of velvet or melton wool dyed to maximum intensity: deeper than cornflower, warmer than ultramarine, with the heraldic weight of a color reserved for monarchs and the official Crown.