Valiant Deneb Ruby

Latin valēns, strong — present-participle of valēre, sharing root with English value and valor. As a color modifier, valiant implies a saturated-and-courageous-and-firm quality, the deep-rich color of Crusader-and-Knight-Templar military-religious-order vestment. Sits at the bold-and-chivalrous end of the grid, parallel to gallant and heroic in usage.

Arabic dhanab-al-dajājah, tail-of-the-hen. As a color modifier, deneb implies a Cygnus-tail-and-summer-triangle quality, the visual register of Cygnus-Swan-and-Summer-Triangle-Deneb hand-Cygnus-tail-and-summer-triangle Cygnus-Swan-and-Summer-Triangle-and-Bortle-1-sky deneb-and-Cygnus-tail-and-summer-triangle surfaces under Cygnus-Swan-and-Summer-Triangle-and-Bortle-1-sky July-and-August-summer-vista white-supergiant-stellar-light. Sits at the modifier-and-cosmic end of the grid, parallel to vega and altair 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.