Regal Tang Ruby

Latin rēgālis, kingly — derived from rēx (king). As a color modifier, regal implies a saturated-and-royal-formality quality, the deep-rich color of British-Coronation-period royal vestment-and-mantle and Imperial-State-Crown regalia. Sits at the bold-and-imperial end of the grid, parallel to sovereign and royal in usage.

Old Norse tangi, sharp-projecting-taste. As a color modifier, tang implies a sharp-and-projecting-and-bright-bite quality, the visual register of Atlantic-and-Hebridean-sea-tang hand-sharp-and-projecting-and-bright-bite Atlantic-and-Hebridean-sea-tang-and-tide-pool-bite tang-and-sharp-and-projecting surfaces under Atlantic-and-Hebridean-sea-tang-and-tide-pool-bite Outer-Hebrides-and-North-Cornish-tide-pool sharp-bite-light. Sits at the modifier-and-flavor end of the grid, parallel to zest and tart 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.