Imperial Sari Ruby

From the Latin imperialis, of the empire — applied to color since the medieval period for the hues reserved for sovereigns and empires: imperial purple of Tyrian dye, imperial yellow of Ming-dynasty porcelain. As a modifier, imperial implies saturation combined with the institutional weight of a color owned by a court. Sits in the bold-and-deep corner, alongside royal.

Sanskrit śāṭī, long-draped-cloth. As a color modifier, sari implies an Indian-sari-and-Banarasi-and-Kanjeevaram-silk quality, the visual register of Banarasi-and-Kanjeevaram-sari hand-Indian-sari-and-Banarasi-and-Kanjeevaram-silk Banarasi-and-Kanjeevaram-sari-and-Mysore-and-Bengal-cotton sari-and-Indian-sari surfaces under Banarasi-and-Kanjeevaram-sari-and-Mysore-and-Bengal-cotton Varanasi-and-Kanjeevaram-and-Mysore-loom Indian-loom-light. Sits at the modifier-and-textile end of the grid, parallel to kimono and haori in usage.

From the Latin ruber — simply, red. The gemstone is a chromium-tinged corundum, harder than anything in nature except diamond, and so saturated that a fine Burmese pigeon's blood ruby at auction outpaces a comparable diamond by weight. The color borrows the gem's confidence: a clear, glassy red without the brown of garnet or the blue of crimson.