Argent
Metal (tincture) of silver in heraldry / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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In heraldry, argent (/ˈɑːrdʒənt/) is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to be tinctured argent are either left blank, or indicated with the abbreviation ar.
| Argent | |
|---|---|
| Class | Metal |
| Non-heraldic equivalent | Silver or (white) |
| Monochromatic designations | |
| Hatching pattern | |
| Tricking abbr. | a., ar., arg. |
| Poetic designations | |
| Heavenly body | Moon |
| Jewel | Pearl |
| Virtue | Innocence |
The name derives from Latin argentum, translated as "silver" or "white metal". The word argent had the same meaning in Old French blazon, whence it passed into the English language.
In some historical depictions of coats of arms, a kind of silver leaf was applied to those parts of the device that were argent. Over time, the silver content of these depictions has tarnished and darkened. As a result, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish regions that were intended as "argent" from those that were "sable". This leaves a false impression that the rule of tincture has been violated in cases where, when applied next to a dark colour, argent now appears to be sable due to tarnish.