A dictionary of colour RSS

A descriptive name of one of the blues specially produced for China by British dyers at the beginning of the 20th Century.

A color name popular in the textile and allied trades since 1550. Standardised by the B.C.S in 1934. Really an improper name for a specific colour sensation, since Saxon Blue, from which Saxe is derived, is the name of a chemical substance only, a dye from which are produced all tones of blue from light to dark. The word Saxe is not English but is adopted from the French, where it means Saxony or Saxon. Saxony Blue was a universally-used synonym for Smalt as early as 1550. Likewise Bleu de Saxe has long been a synonym for Prussian Blue, but since 1753 Saxon Blue has been most familiar as a widely-used name for indigo extract.  

Champagne, A comparatively new colour name. It was found necessary to introduce this slightly more orange colour, compared to biscuit, to the BCS Dictionary to meet the requirements of the interior decoration industries. The descriptive name was adopted following many demands for standardisation. Taken from the wine and general representation of samples submitted by textile and other colour using industries.

A descriptive name. The colour is characteristic of one of many tones found in coal ash. The use of this colour in interior decoration particularly in carpets, paint and laminated plastics is comparatively modern. The first recorded use of ash grey as a colour name in English was in 1374.

A colour name determined in 1938, derived from colours found in 17th Century Spanish pottery and woven fabrics.