Red is a stimulating, energetic and warm color which draws the attention. The Chinese consider red the color of good fortune, while the Hindu people believe it to be a color of creativity, joy and life. In the West red is associated with love and passion. In the Chinese aesthetics system of Feng Shui, a red front door invites prosperity to the home's residents, according to the website Sensational Color.
Nature
Some beautiful shades of red take their names from the natural world. Coral--a light pinkish-orange shade of red--receives its name from certain brilliantly hued marine organisms.
Ruby red is a deep vivid red, reminiscent of the precious ruby gemstone mined from the earth. Carnelian, a deep red shade, is named for a reddish-brown variety of the mineral chalcedony.
Cardinal red takes its name from both the red-feathered cardinal family of birds and from the cassocks worn by cardinals of the Catholic Church.
The Plant World
The plant world is filled with flowers in all the shades and tints of red, from the palest pink phlox to the deepest maroon of some hollyhocks. Today the term "fuchsia" is associated with a pinkish-purple or magenta-like shade of red because of the brilliantly colored dangling flowers of the fuchsia plant. This Central and South American native was discovered in 1703 and named in honor of German physician Leonhart Fuchs.
The color rose, just like the flower rose, is much beloved for its refined and refreshing appearance, which lies between red and magenta on the color wheel. The color and the flower are both associated with feelings of love and happiness.
Pink, a mixture of red and white, gets its name from a flower of the same name. Although dianthus, or pinks, do indeed come in all shades of pink and red, they are named not for their color, but for the appearance of the flowers' edges, which look as though they were cut with pinking shears.
The color mauve refers to a muted lavender-lilac shade of red, and derives from the Old French word for the mallow plant. Maroon, a deep, almost brown shade of red, takes its name from the French word "marron," meaning chestnut.
Food and Drink
Many red colors come from certain foods and drinks. Burgundy, which is a deep blackish-, purplish- or brownish-red, comes from the name of a rich red wine first produced in Burgundy, France.
The candy apple, an apple with a bright red hard candy coating, became a color description due to the automotive industry, according to the website Rides-Mag.com. Joe Bailon, a California car customizer, invented a highly popular metallic red automotive paint which he named "candy apple red."
A number of fruits lend their names to red colors as well, including the orange-red persimmon, pinkish-red raspberry and bright red cherry. Cerise, a vivid pinkish-red shade, comes from the French word for cherry.
Other Reds
Red pigments used for paints include red ochre, red madder lake, carmine, magenta and vermilion. Scarlet is a bright red with an orange hue; crimson is similarly bright but with blue undertones. Shades such as fire engine red, blood red, brick red, barn red, tomato red and flame red are immediately recognizable due to their descriptive names. Darker and more brownish- or orangish-red shades include redwood, rosewood, rust, terra cotta and auburn (usually applied to hair).
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