Sumptuous Hemp Ruby

Latin sūmptuōsus, expensive — derived from sūmptus (expense). As a color modifier, sumptuous implies a saturated-and-rich-and-luxurious quality, the deep-rich color of Burgundy-and-Champagne-Court late-medieval silk-and-velvet livery in the Très-Riches-Heures manuscript tradition. Sits at the bold-and-saturated end of the grid, parallel to opulent and lavish.

Old English henep, hemp-plant. As a color modifier, hemp implies a coarse-bast-fiber quality, the visual register of Russian-and-Italian-and-Far-East-hemp hand-retted-and-spun-hemp-fiber bast-fiber rope-and-canvas-and-cordage hemp-textile surfaces under hand-retted-and-spun-hemp working light. Sits at the modifier-and-texture end of the grid, parallel to cord and twine 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.