Heraldic Tinctures

Heraldic Tinctures: Tincture is the limited palette of colors and patterns used in heraldry. They are classified as metals, colours, or furs. As a general rule of Heraldic Design, do not put Metals on Metals or Colors on Colors.

Colours and Metals

Name	Type	Example
Argent (White or Silver)	Metal
Or (Yellow or Gold)	Metal
Azure (Blue)	Colour
Gules (Red)	Colour
Purpure (Purple/Violet)	Colour
Sable (Black)	Colour
Vert (Green)	Colour

Furs

There are examples of other "furs" but these are the most common.

Name	Type	Example
Vair	Fur
Counter-Vair	Fur
Potent	Fur
Counter-Potent	Fur
Ermine	Fur
Ermines	Fur
Erminois	Fur
Pean	Fur
Papellone	Fur

Stains

Stains (stainand colours or staynard colours): are generally not used in SCA Heraldry. In medieval heraldry, the use of a stain represents a less-than honorable augmentation (abatement or rebatement) imposed by an heraldic authority or by royal decree for misconduct. These colours include:

• Murrey: Deep mulberry-coloured, or reddish purpl (Darker than Purpure).
• Sanguine: Blood-red (darker than Gules)
• Tenné (tawny): orange-tawny colour, though orange is considered distinct in continental European and African heraldic traditions.