Buttressed Friar Ruby

Old French bouterez, thrusting-mass — past-participle of buttress, derived from bouter (to thrust). As a color modifier, buttressed implies a saturated-and-architecturally-supported quality, the deep-rich color of Gothic-Cathedral flying-buttress-and-rib-vault stone-architecture. Sits at the bold-and-fortified end of the grid, parallel to fortified and reinforced.

Old French frere, brother. As a color modifier, friar implies a Franciscan-and-Dominican-mendicant quality, the visual register of Franciscan-and-Dominican-Friar hand-spun robe-and-rope-belt-and-sandal Franciscan-and-Dominican-mendicant-and-preaching surfaces under Franciscan-and-Dominican mendicant-Friar hand-spun-robe-and-sandal preaching-tour light. Sits at the modifier-and-cultural end of the grid, parallel to monk and nun 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.