Tinctures

A coat of arms generally incorporates several elements in various categories. Each element can be in one of several so-called tinctures. Tinctures are divided into: (1) the colours, of which red, blue, green, black and purple are most common, (2) the metals, of which there are two, silver and gold, (3) the furs, each a stylised pattern of two colours, most commonly ermine and vair.