What Color Is Crimson: About Crimson Color

When it comes to providing a sense of wonder and mystery, no color comes closer than the color crimson.

From film to literature, to interior design, fashion, architecture, and everything in between, the color crimson imparts a sense of enigma, especially to those on the outside looking in.

Crimson symbolizes many things, from emotions to status to intentions. Get to know more about this color, what it means, and how you can use it in your life as well.

What Color Is Crimson?

The color crimson falls on the deep side of the color spectrum. It is a rich, deep red color that leans slightly towards the color purple.

It is a deep and vibrant shade of red with a tinge of blue, almost reminiscent of the color of fresh blood. Additionally, some describe this hue as a mixture of pink and red.

The deep red color is obviously from the red family. Today, crimson is used to describe bluish-red colors between the red and rose spectrum.

Crimson bears close similarities to maroon and is a warm color. In nature, however, this color appears to be brighter and more vivid, akin to that of ruby red. This is naturally occurring in the likes of leaves, flowers, insects, and birds.

For example, the crimson sunbird which is the national bird of Singapore, the Crimson rosella which are parrots common in Australia, and a glory vine called Vitis cognetiae native to Asia.

Crimson has a hex triplet code of #DC143C and an RGB value of 220, 20, and 60 respectively. Meanwhile, it has a hue, saturation, and value (HSV) score of 348 degrees, 91%, and 86% respectively.

For the CMYK color space, crimson contains 0% cyan, 91% magenta, 73% yellow, and 14% black.

A Short History Behind This Mysterious Color

The word crimson comes from different variations of the word, including cramoisy, cremesin, and crymysyn.

These three words were all adaptations of the old Latin word cremesinus, which refers to the dye produced by the Kermes scale insects.

As a matter of fact, before being known as the color we are familiar with today, crimson actually referred to the color of the kermes dye that came from a scale insect called Kermes vermilio. 

Apart from this, the word also dates back to the Arabic word qirmiz which means red. 

In the olden days, particularly during the Elizabethan period, the color crimson was a prominent fixture. It held associations with nobility and royalty, and their overall social and economic status.

In fact, only people deemed worthy by English Law, called the Sumptuary Laws, could sport this color.

Meaning Behind the Color Crimson

Crimson has various meanings and symbolizations rooted not only in history and tradition but also in religion and spirituality. One of these meanings is that crimson symbolizes nobility and royalty. It also symbolizes power.

As mentioned, in the Elizabethan era, only those with high social standing and power could wear this color.

In addition, this particular color held some importance in the religious sector during the Elizabethan period.

Religious authorities in the church wore crimson robes, thus the close association with the church itself.

Regarding other religious meanings, crimson also has links to bloodshed, death, tests, sacrifice, and even God’s presence, particularly in relation to martyrs.

It also represents the Bible, as well as the scriptures of the Baháʼí Faith.

Crimson also speaks to the mystery. A crimson flower, referred to as crimson polyanthus, was traditionally given in Turkey and other parts of Europe as a means of secret communication, typically to express one’s heart’s desire.

However, darker-colored crimson flowers represent mourning.

Crimson in Culture

Crimson is the national color of Nepal. The color also appears on Poland’s flag. Many universities also have crimson as their primary school colors, such as Harvard University, Indiana University, Washington State University, and many others.

In terms of film and television, crimson appears as a main or recurring theme in Guillermo del Toro’s film, Crimson Peak.

The color also appears in The Crimson Pirate from 1952. In Game of Thrones, crimson is the family color of House Lannister.

Different Ways To Use Crimson

Crimson is one of the more versatile colors you will come across. You can use it not just in fashion, but also in interior decorations, and just about anything you can think of.

Crimson pairs well with neutrals, such as beiges and creams, making for a more elegant, muted, and modern color palette.

Those who want to play on the safe side, however, can also turn to reliable whites and blacks.

Meanwhile, those who want to amp up romance and mystery will certainly love crimson with other shades of red. Try mixing crimson with more feminine hues such as pink.

Crimson is such a bold color it can also work alongside equally vibrant hues such as oranges and yellows for a good color-blocking move.

The Bottom Line

Crimson is definitely a showstopper however you want to use it. With its versatile hue and its rich history, this shade of red is certainly not one to forget anytime soon.